Libby Viera-Bland, AICP, believes that the only way to approach societal challenges is through building intersectional solutions. As a licensed city planner, she is equipped to examine societal problems at the micro-community level and then resolve them through a wider policy lens. She received concurrent master's degrees in City Planning and in Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania, and completed her undergraduate education at Sarah Lawrence College. Currently, Viera-Bland is the director of neighborhood development and community enrichment initiatives at Project Row Houses. In this work, she focuses on long-term strategies to build affordable housing, support neighborhood preservation and community economic development, and provide direct services in Houston’s Third Ward. Viera-Bland serves as a commissioner on the City of Houston’s Planning Commission and the Historic Preservation Appeals Board. She also dedicates her time to environmental justice as the secretary for the Bayou City Waterkeeper’s Board of Directors. In her previous role as a senior planner and urban designer for Asakura Robinson, she successfully managed the community engagement aspects of the Harris County Housing Study, My Home is Here. Her leadership led to the development of interactive digital community engagement exercises and a survey tool that garnered over 17,000 responses. In this role, she also project-managed Harris County’s Equity in Transportation plan. Additionally, she completed the Culture of Health Leaders fellowship through the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, where she focused on the importance of stable housing as a foundation for personal and community health.
Original Appointment: June 2024