JM Goldson’s team, led by professional planner and founder, Jenn Goldson, strives for excellence and creativity in planning to harness opportunities for transformative change and social equity.

JENN GOLDSON, AICP

Founder and Managing Director

“The most important skill to be an effective community planner is something you’re not taught in school. It’s to be an excellent questioner and listener. Only when you can see a place through the eyes of its community members, can you truly understand the pulse of the community and what makes it authentic. Then you know where to begin.”

Jennifer Goldson (she/her), a certified professional planner, formed JM Goldson community preservation + planning in 2006 to help communities create successful community visions and master plans, community preservation programs, and address affordable housing needs. Her 25+ year professional background blends affordable housing, comprehensive planning, historic preservation, open space conservation, community engagement, and implementation of the Massachusetts Community Preservation Act.

Jenn has a Bachelor of Science in Historic Preservation from Roger Williams University and a Master of Community planning from the University of Rhode Island. She is certified by the American Institute of Certified Planners and is a member of the International Association of Facilitators. 

Learn about Jenn’s Community Planning Book Group.

LAURA SMEAD, AICP

Senior Community Planner for Land Use and Long-Range Planning

Laura (she/her) brings over 15 years of combined planning and research/analysis experience. Laura’s previous planning work includes land use and zoning, community engagement, public health, ArcGIS mapping, and climate change. She is also experienced in grant writing, data collection, research, and statistical analysis. The big issue behind her efforts is how to make more sustainable and healthy places. 

Laura holds a Masters in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning from Tufts University, a Masters in Psychology from California State University Fullerton, and a Bachelors of Applied Science in Psychology from the University of Minnesota Duluth. She is certified by the American Institute of Certified Planners.  

Flavio Vila

Community Planner for Land Use & Urban Design

Flavio (he/him) has a deep passion and curiosity about how affordable housing and land policy can work as processes to overcome urban poverty, especially in the informal settlements of the global south. As a Community Planner for Land Use and Urban Design at JM Goldson, Flavio assists with land use planning, zoning, and research, as well as quantitative, qualitative, and spatial analysis for a variety of projects.

He holds a Bachelor in Architecture from the University of Lima and a Masters in City Planning from the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at MIT. During his graduate degree and as a part of his Fulbright scholarship, he was part of the MIT Enhancing Water Affordability Project which seeks to understand the nature of water poverty in U.S. cities, to examine potential local-level policy responses, and to explore how federal programming might support utilities and households in need.

Prior to his master’s degree, he worked with informal settlements in Lima, with rural communities along the Peruvian Andes and Amazon, and at the Peruvian Ministry of Housing. Flavio is a native Spanish speaker and a fluent English speaker.  

Noah Harper

Community Planner for Housing and Equity

Noah Harper (he/him) is a housing-focused planner, with an interest in promoting more equitable and democratic growth in our cities and towns. Noah uses his research, analysis, and communication skills to advocate for equitable, innovative solutions that help to build beloved, inclusive communities. Prior to joining JM Goldson in 2023, he advised the MBTA on Transit-Oriented Development policy. He holds a master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from Rutgers University’s Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy.  

Austin Smith

Community Planner for Land Use & Long-Range Planning

Austin (he/they) brings a deep passion for cultivating equitable, human communities. They believe the foundations of this effort are devolution, democratization, and finding common ground through generosity, empathy, and openness. They are proud to come from a family of builders, healers, gardeners, and community-oriented folk. 

Austin has years of diverse experience, including carpentry, vegetable farming, food rescue, rideshare driving, and community-owned grocery. Seeing the natural connections between their passions for sustainability, systems-thinking, and contributing to community quality of life, Austin naturally gravitated toward planning. While working at JM Goldson and pursuing their master’s in city planning, they have focused on multimodal and sustainable transportation, urban design, and community land trusts. They appreciate bringing a patient, generous, and iterative approach to addressing broad, complex issues. 

Austin holds a bachelor’s degree from Wheaton College (MA), where they studied Philosophy and Political Theory, and a Master’s Certificate in Urban Policy & Planning from Boston University. They are an MCP candidate at Boston University, concurrently pursuing another Master’s Certificate in Applied Sustainability.