Bio
Shannen Smiley is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Historic Preservation at the Pratt Institute’s Graduate Center for Planning and the Environment. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Media Studies, with a minor in Art and Architectural History, from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Since 2021, Shannen has been actively involved in the preservation field, holding roles at Village Preservation, the Tenement Museum, and the Advisory Council for Historic Preservation. All of these experiences, in tandem with her studies at the Pratt Institute, have provided her with a complex understanding of planning and preservation policy in New York City and beyond. Shannen’s interest in the Community Planning Fellowship is rooted in her passion for expanding the scope of preservation to include affordable housing, inclusive designations, and more diverse representations of heritage. She envisions a future where preservation plays a crucial role in both local and national planning discourse, ensuring the continuation of cultural histories and traditions that have been previously overlooked. Shannen looks forward to collaborating with local community boards to nurture and preserve valuable cultural histories in an ever-changing urban landscape.
