The Norman Krumholz Speaker Series on the Future of Urban Planning
Wednesday, March 25, 2026
Roberta Steinbacher Atrium, Glickman Miller Hall, 1717 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44115
Program: 3:00 - 5:00 pm
Networking Social: 5:00 - 6:30 pm
Free. Suggested $35 donation to the Norman and Virginia Endowed Scholarship
Register for this event.
About This Event
2026 is the 100th anniversary of the VILLAGE OF EUCLID V. AMBLER REALTY CO. landmark U.S. Supreme Court case that established the principle and practice of land-use zones in the U.S. To recognize the importance of this occasion, the 2026 Keynote Speaker is Dr. Sonia Hirt, Ph.D., Dean and Hughes Professor in Landscape Architecture and Planning at the College of Environment and Design at the University of Georgia (U.S.A.). Dr. Hirt is author of Zoned in the USA: The Origins and Implications of American Land Use Regulation and co-editor of Contemporary Urban Planning, a widely known urban planning textbook, amongst several other publications.
Following the keynote address, we will host a panel discussion about equitable housing with local urban planning and development professionals from Cleveland Neighborhood Progress, Cuyahoga Land Bank, a Community Development Corporation, and the City of Cleveland Planning Department.
Stay for the networking social! Grab a bite and a table to catch up with old friends or make new ones.
Keynote Speaker
Dr. Sonia Hirt, Ph.D., Urban and Regional Planning
Dean and Hughes Professor in Landscape Architecture and Planning
College of Environment and Design, University of Georgia
Initially trained as an architect in her hometown of Sofia (the capital of Bulgaria), Sonia Hirt holds a master’s and a doctoral degree in urban and environmental planning from the University of Michigan. Prior to joining the University of Georgia, she served as Dean of the School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation at the University of Maryland in College Park; Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the College of Architecture and Urban Studies, Virginia Tech; and Visiting Associate Professor at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design. Sonia is the recent winner of a Guggenheim Fellowship. She is the author/editor of nearly 100 scholarly and professional publications (including 5 books), with more than 5,000 citations. Learn more about Dr. Hirt. »
Panelists
Tania Menesse
President and CEO, Cleveland Neighborhood Progress
Levin College of Urban Affairs, MSUS 2010
Tania Menesse is the president and CEO of Cleveland Neighborhood Progress, an intermediary organization whose mission is to foster equitable neighborhood revitalization across Cleveland by strengthening the community development ecosystem. A priority of the organization is ensuring Cleveland’s community development corporations have access to financial resources, talent, industry expertise, and technical assistance.
Cleveland Neighborhood Progress focuses on systems-level work including advocacy at all levels of government, raising capital, real estate development, and telling the story of Cleveland’s neighborhoods. Much of this work is carried out through its subsidiaries, Village Capital Corporation and New Village Corporation.
Menesse serves on the boards of Destination Cleveland, Ideastream, Digital C, and Western Reserve Land Conservancy, and she is board chair of the Greater Ohio Policy Center.
Dennis Roberts, Esq.
Chief Strategy Officer, Cuyahoga Land Bank
CSU Alum - JD, 1998
Dennis Roberts is chief strategy officer of the Cuyahoga Land Bank, where he leads strategic initiatives including new construction, neighborhood transformation efforts such as the Circle East District, external affairs, and partnerships. He plays a central role in shaping the organization’s long-term vision and expanding its regional influence.
Previously, as director of real estate development, Roberts oversaw the renovation and construction of more than 2,000 homes, both affordable and market-rate, generating investment across Cuyahoga County. A licensed attorney and real estate professional, he brings legal, development, and policy experience to his work.
Roberts serves on the boards of Solutions at Work and the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities.
Terri Hamilton-Brown
MIT, Master of Urban Studies and City Planning
Terri Hamilton-Brown describes her career as that of a community builder. For more than 30 years, she has served in professional and volunteer roles in Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Chicago, leading initiatives focused on neighborhoods and communities. Her career includes executive roles with the City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority, University Circle Incorporated, and National City Bank.
From 2010 to 2018, she worked with The Community Builders, a national nonprofit developer of mixed-income and mixed-use development, as vice president of development for the Midwest region.
Her civic and volunteer experience includes board and committee service with Cleveland-based institutions including The Cleveland Foundation, United Way, Urban League, Greater Cleveland Partnership, Cleveland Neighborhood Progress, Cleveland Metropolitan School District, and Shorebank Community Development Bank. She currently serves on the City of Cleveland Board of Zoning Appeals.
Adam Davenport
Manager of Neighborhood Planning, Cleveland City Planning Commission
Levin College of Urban Affairs, BA, Environmental Studies, 2014
Adam Davenport serves as manager of neighborhood planning for the Cleveland City Planning Commission, overseeing district planners and transportation staff working on Cleveland neighborhood initiatives, including new policies and programs.
He previously worked at Northwest Neighborhoods Community Development Corporation and has served as a committee member in Berea for its Planning and Development Committee. He has also served on the board of APA Cleveland and the Gordon Square Arts District’s Capitol Theatre.
Davenport graduated as valedictorian from the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University.
About the Series
The Norman Krumholz Future of Urban Planning Lecture Series honors the legacy of Norman Krumholz, recognizing his pivotal role in advancing equity planning and addressing the ongoing challenges in this field. Krumholz’s influence is renowned globally, as evidenced by his inclusion in Planetizen’s 100 Most Influential Urbanists. However, his impact is most profoundly felt in Cleveland, where he and his team of planners created an equity planning framework for the City of Cleveland’s City Planning Department aimed at providing more choices to Clevelanders who had few. The Speaker Series honors Norm Krumholz’ equity planning lens to examine urban planning and community development issues still important to Clevelanders today.
Sponsors
