Dr. Zack Lemel

Biography

Zack LeMel is a Design Critic at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, specializing in urban planning and design. His work focuses on addressing complex urban challenges through context-sensitive and community-driven solutions. Currently, he serves as the head of Long Range Planning in the City of Newton, Massachusetts, where he leads comprehensive land use reform. Zack's approach reframes zoning from a historically exclusionary tool to a driver of inclusion and sustainable growth. In 2022, he collaborated with Stanford's Crowdsourced Democracy Team to develop innovative outreach tools for Newton’s MBTA Communities zoning initiative, which emphasized engagement strategies highlighted in the Boston Foundation’s Housing Equity Report. His policy engagements include transforming part of a public parking lot into a pilot urban plaza serving one of Newton’s largest village centers. Previously, Zack worked with the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, where he assisted in creating the Resilient Edgemere neighborhood resiliency plan following Superstorm Sandy. His teaching experience includes co-teaching the Community Practice course at the Boston Architectural College, which explores contemporary design practices and the role of designers in the community as a potential tool for social change.

Research Interests