Jimena Veloz is an urban planner with a background in political science and activism, a generalist who can all her interests and skills to make connections and bridge gaps between different disciplines and people.
She is interested in planning as an interdisciplinary field that explores the interaction of people and place: how we build the spaces we live in and how we organize to do so. She is interested in how we can design and change space as a way to make people’s lives better, focusing especially on building equitable cities, community resiliency and tackling the climate crisis.
In her current position at Hester Street, she focuses on projects that build capacity for community-based organizations, local governments and private entities to ensure that communities are part of the decisions affecting their local environment.
Prior to Hester Street, Jimena worked on advocacy for transportation projects with the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy, focusing especially on transit-oriented development and reducing car use.