Bio: As Chief of Staff at the Chicago Park District, Ms. Biagi focuses on strategic matters that come with the District's position as the leading provider of open space and recreation in Chicago and a national leader on urban park issues. As part of her work, she builds relationships, guides collaboration, aligns strategic planning with performance, and accelerates innovation at a municipal agency with nearly 3,000 employees and $2 billion in assets. She previously served as the District’s director of planning and development where she managed research, planning, policy, and design.
Education: University of Illinois at Chicago, MUPP; University of Michigan, BA
Bio: Jamie Simone is the Program Director for the Urban Parks Program at the Chicago office of The Trust for Public Land. Jamie has a wide range of experience in community outreach, urban design, research, and project management. In her current role as Program Director, Jamie oversees the Chicago office’s urban program, working toward meeting The Trust for Public Land’s vision that every child live within a ten minute walk of a park or playground. The Trust for Public Land is a land conservation organization that has been conserving land for people across the United States for the past 40 years. Prior to joining The Trust for Public Land, Jamie served as the Program Manager for WPB, the Special Service Area for the Wicker Park and Bucktown neighborhoods. In addition to fulfilling the standard duties of an SSA Program Manager, Jamie led her Commission through several community-based planning exercises, culminating in a master plan which won four awards: the Charter Award from the Congress for New Urbanism-Illinois award (2009), the Engineering Excellence Special Achievement Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies-Illinois (2010), the Community Outreach Award from the Illinois Chapter of the American Planning Association (2010), and the National Planning Excellence Award for Public Outreach (2010). The planning efforts of WPB have helped guide the organization, but more importantly, demonstrated a commitment to deliberate planning with sincere community input and participation. Prior to working for WPB, Jamie worked for Farr Associates as a Senior Associate, focused on sustainable urbanism, urban design, form-based codes, and community participation. Before entering the field of urban planning, she worked in the field of social service, where she learned countless lessons about human interaction and the boundless power of listening. Jamie is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), is a LEED Accredited Professional (LEED-AP), serves as the Professional Development Officer for the Illinois Chapter of the American Planning Association, and is secretary of the board of the Friends of the Bloomingdale Trail. Jamie holds a master’s degree in urban planning and policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa.
Education: Master's of Urban Planning and Policy, University of Illinois at Chicago Bachelor of Arts, University of Iowa
Key Publications: •Jamie Simone and other authors. “Stormwater Systems.” In Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design with Nature, pp 175-179. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2008. •James C. Schwab and Stuart Meck, with Jamie Simone. Planning for Wildfires, Planning Advisory Service Report No. 529/530. Chicago: American Planning Association, 2005.
Past Assignments: •Invited panelist at Next City’s “From Tracks to Parks: The Next Generation of Urban Green Space”; April 29, 2013 in Philadelphia. •Pecha Kucha presentation regarding the Bloomingdale Trail at Urban Innovation Symposium for University of Illinois at Chicago; February 24, 2012 in Chicago. •Guest speaker at the Great Cities Institute of the University of Illinois at Chicago’s “Real Time Chicago Seminar Series” regarding the Bloomingdale Trail; February 7, 2012 in Chicago. •Guest panelist at GreenTown: The Future of Community “LEED for Neighborhood Development” session; April 28, 2011 in Elgin, IL. •Guest panelist at the 2011 National Planning Conference (APA) “Make It Happen Now!” session; April 10, 2011 in Boston. •Pecha Kucha presentation regarding Make Believe at Urban Innovation Symposium for University of Illinois at Chicago; February 4, 2011 in Chicago. •Paper presentation regarding Bus Tracker in Businesses at Transport Chicago; June 4, 2010 in Chicago. •Guest panelist at the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) Roundtable “The Creative City: Keeping Chicago Vibrant and Viable”; June 3, 2009 in Chicago.
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