Studio Gang Expands Urban Design and Planning Practice
June 23, 2015
Studio Gang is pleased to announce the expansion of its urban design and planning practice with the addition of Gia Biagi, Senior Director of Urbanism and Civic Impact. Gia, who serves as the Studio’s principal planner, is widely regarded as a thought leader in the preservation, enhancement, and expansion of urban public space. She has spent more than a decade helping governments and non-profit organizations make smart investments in urban environments.
“Gia’s energy and experience bring new focus to the urban approach at the core of our work,” said Studio Gang Founder and Principal Jeanne Gang. “Gia has been integral in bringing to life transformative urban projects. Her leadership in a global dialogue about public parkland is shaping new models for how people interact with others and the environment.”
Gia joins Studio Gang after more than ten years of leadership at the Chicago Park District, an agency with nearly 3,000 full-time employees and more than $2 billion in assets. At the Park District she served as Chief of Staff, Director of Strategy and Policy, and Director of Planning and Development. Gia spearheaded the implementation of policy, planning, and development projects across the city, including signature projects such as Maggie Daley Park and the 606 Bloomingdale Trail. She is President of NeighborSpace, a non-profit land trust that provides long-term protection and assistance to more than 90 community gardens across Chicago, and is a board member of the City Parks Alliance, a national organization that links a broad-based network of people and institutions that care about urban parks. Gia is also a member of Lambda Alpha International, an honorary society for the study of land economics.
Originally from Amherst, Massachusetts, Gia earned her BA from the University of Michigan and her Master in Urban Planning and Public Policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She lives in Chicago with her husband and two sons.
URBANISM & CIVIC IMPACT AT STUDIO GANG
Advancing a design methodology that prioritizes positive civic impact, Studio Gang’s urbanism practice includes urban, master, geo-spatial, and strategic planning services. Employing the tools of design and planning, the Studio helps communities, cities, and institutions contextualize and respond to challenges related to issues of resiliency, mobility, urbanization, social equity, and globalization.
Studio Gang is currently engaged in comprehensive planning projects including the development of a strategic plan for the National Aquarium that will help this historic Baltimore institution update the aquarium model for the 21st century.
