Print pageSue Schwartz, FAICP, has been a professional planner for almost 25 years, most of that time working with neighborhoods to facilitate reinvestment in their communities. Currently, she is neighborhood planning manager for the City of Greensboro, North Carolina, where she has won numerous awards for her redevelopment efforts. She is the Project Manager for Southside, an in-fill traditional neighborhood development on the edge of Greensboro’s downtown -- a neighborhood which was recognized by the Sierra Club in 2005 in its “Building Better: A Guide to America’s Best New Development Projects” report. Southside had previously won US EPA's 2004 Smart Growth Award for Built Projects, and the American Planning Association’s Outstanding Planning Award for Implementation in 2003.
Schwartz was also instrumental in focusing attention on East Market Street in Greensboro, which was once the hub of the African-American business district in the city that had been the subject of urban renewal in the 1950’s and 60’s. Her efforts included bringing a team of volunteer planners to the corridor for 5 days of workshops and meetings with the community. As a result, the East Market Street Development Corporation was created, a $12.5 million streetscape and traffic management project was implemented, and $2.5 million in redevelopment funds were committed to the area to leverage private investment.
Schwartz has been active in the American Planning Association at both the state and national levels. The many offices she has held include president of the North Carolina Chapter of APA, and two terms on the American Institute of Certified Planners Commission, serving as secretary-treasurer all six years. She is currently finishing her term as president of AICP. During her tenure, she has successfully launched the AICP Community Assistance Program, which will provide planners pro bono to need areas for work on social equity issues. She has a Bachelor of Science in Geography and Urban Studies from the University of Pittsburgh, and a Master of Arts from the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. In 2003, Schwartz was inducted into the AICP College of Fellows, the youngest person to be inducted to date.
