Pedestrian Power: Crafting Walkable Communities

Bio: Agata Dryla-Gaca has been working for CMAP‘s Research and Analysis Department since July 2008. Her work focuses on spatial data analysis and mapping support for wide array of projects. She was part of CMAP’s GO TO 2040 Regional Comprehensive Plan effort. She uses GIS (Geographical Information Systems) tools for existing conditions analysis, comprehensive plan updates, transit-oriented development studies, housing demand analysis and sustainable plans for municipalities in Northeastern Illinois. Before joining CMAP, Agata worked at City of Chicago Department of Innovation and Technology, maintaining and updating geospatial database, training GIS users, testing and implementing custom GIS applications. She strongly believes that “a map is worth a thousand words”.

Education: Agata holds a Master’s Degree in Regional Geography from Pedagogical University in Krakow, Poland and GIS Certificate from DePaul University in Chicago.

Bio: Senior Planner Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning

Education: Masters in Urban Planning, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Bachelor's in Architecture, School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi, India.

Bio: Marissa Dolin works as the Transportation Planner for Active Transportation Alliance, the largest bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organization in the United States. Over the last 3 years she has lead more than a dozen plans and studies at every level of government from working with block clubs to create hyper-local action plans to suburban municipalities to regional plans. Her work has promotes active transportation in communities throughout the Chicago region, and she is now seeing many of the communities she worked with begin implementation. Marissa’s previous experience includes working as a planner in suburban Seattle, at a regional planning agency in rural Wisconsin, and as a researcher in an affordable housing and demographics.

Education: Economics (BS) University of Washington Community, Environment and Planning (BA) University of Washington Master of Urban Planning, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Past Assignments: Implementing Active Transportation Plans Illinois APA-Chicago Metro Section, Fall 2012 Getting to Know Your Trail Users-Chicago Lakefront Trail User Study ProWalk-ProBike Fall 2012 Planning Commissioners Training on Active Transportation Chicago Metropolitan Agency on Planning, Spring 2012 Trail Planning 101 Illinois Association of Park Districts, Spring 2012

Bio: Currently with the Berwyn Development Corporation, I help manage the City of Berwyn's four Tax Increment Financing Districts. We focus on business recruitment and offer business assistance including gap financing and site location assistance. I've applied for and managed grants for the City including Model Communities and CMAP Local Technical Assistance, which provided comprehensive and active transportation planning to the City. I assist with marketing including creating site specific, corridor and overall City marketing sheets. I also provide urban planning assistance to the City of Berwyn including plan implementation and zoning review.

Education: BS Urban and Regional Planning, Michigan State University

Past Assignments: Panelist at 2011 GreenTown Conference discussing Berwyn’s healthy community initiatives. Panelist at 2011 ILAPA State Conference on Intergovernmental Planning. Panelist at Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning’s Local Technical Assistance symposium in 2012 discussing Berwyn’s Comprehensive Planning process.