Fellow Profile

Jess Zimbabwe

“At first glance, the Rose Fellowship seems like a luxury because it allows the fellows the to devote three years of their time and expertise towards design projects in low-income communities. In reality, the program has the capacity to make the case that good design should never be considered a luxury, but a necessity in these neighborhoods.”

— Jess Zimbabwe

Fellowship Host:
Urban Ecology
Oakland/San Francisco, CA

Jess Zimbabwe has long believed that design alone can’t solve every problem, but she says, “without attention to design, underserved communities face an unending cycle of physical degradation and decline.” Jess showed the power of design with her Rose Fellowship when she worked on the design and development of the Eastside Cultural Center.

The center is an adaptive re-use of a historic building in the San Antonio District, one of Oakland’s most diverse low-income neighborhoods. Previously, host Urban Ecology had spread itself thin in an attempt to offer community design services to a number of neighborhoods. Its impact, however, was limited in terms of getting plans adopted or built. Jess’ contribution to the project helped Urban Ecology learn the value of a sustained, long-term relationship with a community partner.

Jess is now the director of the Mayors’ Institute on City Design, as well as vice president for programs at the American Architectural Foundation. She has worked with over 120 American mayors and cities to help local leaders better understand urban design so that they can advocate for the built environments in their communities. Jess developed the first-ever international Mayors’ Institute in Warsaw, Poland, and oversees the Great Schools by Design program, which provides leadership development in design for local school leaders. She serves as President of the Association for Community Design and is a licensed architect, a certified city planner, and LEED Accredited Professional. Jess holds master’s degrees in architecture and city planning from U.C. Berkeley, and a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Columbia University.

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