Melissa Hege's CV
Melissa Hege, AICP, LEED has experience in some of the country’s greatest cities including Boston, Miami, Miami Beach, Philadelphia, and Lafayette, LA.
Registrations
American Institute of Certified Planners #016841
LEED Accredited Professional
Employment History
Miami Downtown Development Authority
Manager Urban Planning and Transportation, 2014-2015
Redevelopment Management Associates
Pompano Beach, FL
Director of Planning and Business Development, 2013-2014
Zyscovich Architects
Miami, FL
Senior Planner/ Project Manager, 2003-2013
The Corradino Group
Miami, FL
Planner/ Project Manager, 1998-2003
Goody Clancy Architects
Boston, MA
Junior Planner 1995-1997
Education
M.A. City Planning
University of Pennsylvania
William Wheaton Scholar
B.A. European Cultural Studies
Brandeis University
Cum Laude with Honors
Architectural Studies
Syracuse University
Florence, Italy
Career Discovery Program, Architecture
Harvard University
Professional Associations + Voluntary Boards
Urban Land Institute
Leadership Program
Underline Health Committee and Design Advisory Committee Liaison 2018-present
MiMo Biscayne Boulevard Association
Secretary 2018
Board Member 2016-2018
Florida International University’s Metropolitan Center
Affiliate Researcher , 2011-2012
Florida Chapter of the American Planning Association
Executive Board 2006-2008
Conference Chair 2008
Gold Coast Section of the Florida American Planning Association
Chair 2006-2008
Executive Board 2000-2015
Miami Dade County Metropolitan Planning Organization Transportation Aesthetics Review Committee
Board Member, 2003-2006
Curriculum Development
In an effort to introduce children to the concepts of place and the factors that influence place, firm principal, Melissa Hege, was selected to create a neighborhood and redevelopment focused planning curriculum for middle school students at the Cushman School. Students learned basic drafting skills, evaluated the components of neighborhood, compared different neighborhoods in Miami and presented their findings to the Head of School.
Adjunct Professor, “Real Urbanism”. Florida Atlantic University, 2011
Non Profit Work
As a board member and Secretary for the MiMo Biscayne Association, firm principal, Melissa Hege developed a strategy for revitalizing Biscayne Boulevard in the historic district.
She was a member of the Underline Health Committee and served as the liaison between this committee and the Design Advisory Committee (DAC). In this capacity she advised the DAC on incorporating health initiatives into their work.
As an Executive Board member of the Gold Coast Section of the American Planning Association, Melissa initiated a health and built environment theme for the 2013 Gold Coast APA event series which included a pop up park concept modeled after New York City’s Play Street program. In the same capacity, she partnered with AIA Miami to bring the author’s of NYC’s Active Design Guidelines to Miami to present the concept and its applicability to Miami.
Melissa Hege was a high school mentor with Take Stock in Children, a program which provides a 4-year Florida Prepaid account for economically disadvantaged students. It has been one of the most gratifying experiences of her life.
Complete Project List
Advocacy
Complete Streets Forum for Miami Dade County, FL
Monthly Interagency Transportation Coordination Luncheons, Downtown Miami, FL
Interactive Web Map, Current and Future Capital Improvements, Downtown Miami Infrastructure Projects, FL
Policy, Research + Analysis
Temporary Use Permits for Activation Projects, Downtown West Palm Beach, FL
Fort Lauderdale Comprehensive Plan Elements, FL
Islamorada Development Review,FL
Miami Gardens Conditional Use Review,FL
Urban Analysis
Wynwood Street Tree Master Plan, Miami, FL
Bayside Wharf Redevelopment Analysis, Miami, FL
Transportation App Analysis for Miami Start-up, FL
Public Engagement
Wynwood Street Tree Master Plan, Miami, FL
Baywalk Pop-up Installation, Miami, FL
Funding + Finance
Florida Department of Transportation Aesthetic Projects (TAP) Grant Application for Biscayne Boulevard, Miami, FL
Coral Springs Community Redevelopment Plan, FL
FL American Planning Association Annual Conference, Miami, FL
Various Grants to the Health Foundation of South Florida
Transportation Planning
Little Havana Pedestrian Priority Zones, Miami, FL
2045 Long Range Transportation Plan Bicycle/Pedestrian Element for the Gainesville Urbanized Area MTPO
Complete Streets Conceptual Design, Cutler Bay, FL
Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvement Projects, Downtown Miami, FL
Complete Streets Pilot Project Study, Downtown Miami, FL
Detroit Intermodal Freight Terminal, MI
Miami Beach Municipal Mobility Plan, FL
Electrowave 7-year Long Range Plan, Miami Beach, FL
Parks + Trails
Baywalk Multi-Use Trail Implementation, Downtown Miami, FL
Blackstone River Valley Environmental Assessment, MA
Boston Freedom Trail Vision and Master Plan, MA
Strategic + Master Planning
Gridics Strategic Plan for Zonar 3D Zoning software
Tampa Innovation Alliance Strategic Plan, FL
Village of Pinecrest Strategic Plan, FL
Midtown Miami Master Plan, Zoning, + Design Standards, FL
North Miami Beach Downtown Master Plan + Zoning, FL
Downtown West Palm Beach Master Plan + Urban Regulations, FL
Corridor Planning
Hollywood Commercial Corridors Master Plan and Vision, FL
Hollywood Beach Community Redevelopment Plan, FL
Plantation SR7/US441 Vision and Master Plan, FL
Downtown Planning + Redevelopment
Downtown Miami, Various Sudies, FL
Lafayette Parish Downtown Master Plan, LA
Downtown Hollywood CRA Vision & Master Plan, FL
Downtown Cocoa Beach CRA Plan and Vision, FL
Jacksonville Vision Plans & Future Land Use Plan, FL
Atlantic Beach Community Vision, SC
Broward County Downtown Campus Master Plan, FL
Miami Omni CRA Master Plan Update and Implementation, FL
Selected Lectures
The Ideas Center at Miami Dade College 2019.
Guest Lecturer "Reimagining Cities"
FL APA Annual Conference 2014. “Suburbs to Cities and Why We're Still Searching for that Third Place”
FL APA Annual Conference 2014. “The Planner's New Toolbox: New Technologies for Outreach, Graphic Communication & Design”
FL APA Annual Conference 2012. “Reversing the Trend with Form Based Codes Best Practices for Administration & Implementation”
FL APA Annual Conference 2011. “The Redevelopment Of Downtown West Palm Beach: 20 Years Of Planning And Lessons Learned”
FL APA Annual Conference 2009. “A Planner’s Recovery Toolkit”
FL APA Annual Conference 2008. “Capacity Drive Codes vs Form Based Codes - a New Vision for West Palm Beach”
Selected Writings
Blog, Planetizen.com:
"Youth and the Greatest Love of All….What I Learned From Whitney Houston" April 11, 2012
"5 Things That Inspire Me". September 15, 2011
“A New Year’s Resolution List for City Planners”. January 2, 2011
“The Search for Scientific Validation: When Our Feelings Are Just Not Good Enough,”. August 30, 2010
“It’s About Data Baby”. June 23, 2010
“The Search for Community One Sleepover at a Time?”. June 3, 2010
“Sustainable Communities… What’s Missing?”. May 10, 2010
“Miami’s Visit from the Planning Heavens”. April 20, 2010
"Miami's Best Food Hall Dish Isn't on the Menu" Modern Cities, August 2019
" Why You Should Be Jealous of This Gorgeous Alley" Modern Cities, August 2018
"A River Runs Through It: NYC's Hudson River Park" Modern Cities, June 2018
"The Good the Bad and the Ugly: The New Urban Crisis" Modern Cities, May 2018
" DIY 101: How to Make Your City Waterfront Fabulous"
Florida Planning Magazine , Winter 2017
“NYC’s Active Design Guidelines: Promoting Physical Activity & Health in Design”. Florida Planning, Fall 2010