Dr. Janet Smith

Biography

Janet Marie Smith is the Edward P. Bass Distinguished Visiting Architecture Fellow at Yale University. She has a significant history in overseeing large-scale improvement and expansion projects within Major League Baseball. Notably, she served as the senior vice president of planning and development for the Los Angeles Dodgers starting in 2012, a role in which she oversaw numerous renovation efforts at Dodger Stadium and Campo Las Palmas, the team's home in the Dominican Republic. Her expertise in baseball park design and development was first recognized during her work on Oriole Park at Camden Yards, which set a new standard for modern ballparks when it opened in 1992. Smith was also the senior vice president of planning and development for the Boston Red Sox from 2002 to 2009, where she played a crucial role in the preservation and expansion of Fenway Park. Additionally, Smith held the position of president at Turner Sports Entertainment and vice president of planning and development for the Atlanta Braves from 1994 to 2000, where she was instrumental in transforming the 1996 Olympic Stadium into Turner Field and in overseeing the development of Philips Arena. Earlier in her career, Smith worked on development projects in Battery Park City, New York, as well as early planning efforts for the renovation of the Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena, CA, in 2009. Smith earned her Bachelor of Architecture degree from Mississippi State University in 1981 and a Master's in Urban Planning from City College of New York in 1984.

Research Interests