BOND Multi

Biography

Rachel Meltzer is the Plimpton Associate Professor of Planning and Urban Economics at Harvard University's Graduate School of Design. Her research is broadly concerned with urban economies and how market and policy forces can shape disparate outcomes across neighborhoods.  She focuses on issues related to economic development, housing, land use, and local public finance. 

Dr. Meltzer’s current research explores how economic and institutional “shocks” impact retail and commercial activity and real estate markets in urban neighborhoods. These “shocks” range from gentrification to the proliferation of e-commerce to extreme climate events like Superstorm Sandy.  Dr. Meltzer is also interested in the private provision of public goods, and she has explored a number of questions related to Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) and Homeowners Associations (HOAs) about their formation and impacts on housing markets and public services. In addition, she has conducted extensive research on Inclusionary Zoning, an alternative to traditional methods of providing affordable housing, including its impact on local housing markets and the political economy behind the adoption of such policies. 

Dr. Meltzer’s research has been supported by grants from the National Science Foundation, Social Science Research Council, the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Kauffman Foundation.

Prior to joining the GSD, Dr. Meltzer was Associate Professor of Urban Policy and Chair of the Public and Urban Policy M.S. Degree program at the Milano School of Policy, Management and Environment at The New School, where, for over a decade, she taught in the core policy analysis curriculum.  Out of that teaching experience, Dr. Meltzer authored the textbook, Policy Analysis as Problem Solving (Routledge 2018, 2025), with her New School colleague, Alex Schwartz.  She has also taught classes on quantitative methods, local economic development, and public finance.

Dr. Meltzer is a Research Affiliate at the Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy at New York University. Prior to her academic career, she worked as a Mortgage Officer and Project Manager for the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, where she managed the financing and rehabilitation of affordable housing. Dr. Meltzer earned her doctorate in Public Policy and M.P.A. from the Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University and a B.A. in Psychology and Mathematics from Dartmouth College.

Biography

Sam is a citizen of the White Earth Nation of Ojibwe and an architect with over 25 years of design, planning, and cultural visioning experience, Sam serves tribal communities and Indigenous organizations by bringing a contemporary and forward-thinking perspective to the design and planning process. With a sincere commitment to improving the lives of Tribal community members, Sam brings a wealth of experience and cultural knowledge to a wide range of community-oriented projects. He is committed to advancing the cultural preservation, economic growth, health, and well-being of Native communities through sound planning and practical design strategies that are beautiful, innovative, environmentally regenerative, functional, and culturally specific. He facilitates authentic and engaging community listening processes with Tribal community members in an inviting and welcoming environment where Indigenous values and goals can be voiced and heard. Published nationally as a leader in contemporary Native American design theory and practice, Sam is known as a progressive and thoughtful design thinker on culturally significant projects and produces unique and inventive design solutions, responding to cultural tradition with innovative and contemporary design solutions without relying on stereotypical imagery. Sam is also passionate about serving his community. He holds leadership positions with multiple Indigenous organizations and has received numerous recognitions for both design and community service. 

Biography

Kathryn McCamant, together with her previous partner Charles Durrett, introduced the cohousing concept to North America in 1988 with their seminal book: Cohousing: A Contemporary Approach to Housing Ourselves. Since then she has been involved in the design and development of dozens of communities, now working as a development consultant for communities all across the country.  Katie co-authored  Creating Cohousing: Building Sustainable Neighborhoods as well as numerous chapter contributions to other books. She has lived in two of the cohousing communities she developed and was a founding board member of the Cohousing Association. Her firm provides development consulting services across North America.

Biography

David Guerra is an independent curator, art dealer/consultant, and professor originally from Havana, Cuba, and currently based in both Boston, Massachusetts, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. He is the founder of MARCA RIBE, a dynamic platform dedicated to amplifying the creative voices of the Caribbean and fostering art curating and collecting within the region. He has advised both private and corporate collections regarding art acquisitions. His passion for innovation in the arts has driven him to collaborate on numerous festivals and exhibitions, first in Boston and now in the artistic landscape of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Currently, David imparts his expertise through seminars on Art Curating, New Trends in Contemporary Art, and the Art Market at the University of Sacred Heart in Puerto Rico and the University of Puerto Rico.