Every time I travel to a new place, the first thing I notice is the built environment. What does it sound like? How does it feel? How are people using it?

I am a huge walker and observer. I think the best way to get to know a place is by walking (no music or headphones!) and watching how people move through it. Public space plays such an important role in the health and well-being of a city, and it often determines how I experience a place. Some of my favorite spaces are long boulevard parks, where people of all ages spend their days and use the space as an extension of their living rooms. That feeling is what makes a city feel like home. People make spaces warm.

When I was in middle school, my friends and I were taking one of our afternoon loitering strolls up Southport Avenue in Chicago when we were stopped in our tracks by an organic wooden structure that functioned as a table and bench. So we sat. We gossiped, hung out for a while, and eventually got up and continued on our way. I still think about that moment. The built environment can do that. It can invite people to slow down, stay awhile, and connect.

Since studying abroad in Copenhagen, I have been inspired by Gehl’s approach to designing cities around how people actually live. I want to work in people-centered urban design and placemaking, helping cities create public spaces that encourage people to walk, gather, stay awhile, and connect. Working with Gehl is a dream of mine, but more broadly, I want to be part of a team creating better everyday experiences for the people who call a city home.

I am driven by design, art, and history, but more than anything, I am deeply interested in people.