On our show, today is Nicole Bennett. She has expertise in environmental justice, “planning for equity”, equitable development, and consensus building. Much of her work has focused on the intersection of transportation, land use, and equity. We will highlight home ownership, increasing land, and community engagement.
We cover questions regarding-
- How should we understand a city or town's typical use of future land use maps?
- Understanding the difference between the comprehensive plan and the land use map?
- What do you do to break down zoning cases as a planning commissioner?
- Where are the opportunities to do the right thing for people?
About Our Guests
Nicole Bennett is a mom of two, a planner, advocate, equity strategist, and a product of rural Bertie County, North Carolina. Nicole developed an intense need to improve the quality of life for and give a voice to the underrepresented and marginalized. She received an undergraduate degree in Economics and a graduate degree in planning with a concentration in Community Development, both from UNC-Chapel Hill. Much of her work has focused on the intersection of transportation, land use, and equity. She currently works as an urban planner and equity strategist for VHB, where she co-leads the Mid-Atlantic Equity Team and is focused on expanding the firm’s equity practice across all disciplines and service lines.