CPEX has been so busy addressing needs that have emerged alongside the COVID-19 pandemic and hosting our virtual 2020 Smart Growth Summit, we haven’t had a chance to introduce our newest team member, Lyneisha Jackson. We were so excited to bring her GIS and wide-ranging planning expertise to CPEX, and she has already proven to be an invaluable member of the team. Read on to learn more about Lyneisha Jackson, Community Planner – and salsa dancer!
Lyneisha was introduced to urban planning through her favorite subject in high school, Human Geography. “I loved learning about demographics, interpreting population pyramids, understanding the differences between urban and rural areas, and the story that can be told about a population solely based on data.”
When she began researching professions related to human geography, urban planning immediately resonated. As an undergraduate at Morgan State University, Lyneisha was advised that architecture was a good foundation if planning was her ultimate goal. “This was so distant from anything I ever thought I would be doing. I knew very little about this profession, nor did I know any architects.” However, the architecture program gave her a different perspective, introducing her to the spatial context of the built environment. She gained an understanding of how spatial design directly affects people on many scales, giving her a three-dimensional appreciation for people and places. This broadened her perspective. “It’s not just numbers. Understanding context allows for a more holistic analysis, which makes the data more relatable to the reader or viewer.”
As a graduate student in the Master of Community Planning program at the University of Maryland College Park, Lyneisha was introduced to GIS, a program that represents data spatially and visually. To Lyneisha, this form of analysis renders data so much more meaningful and interesting. “GIS allows users to engage with several layers of data at once, telling a more complete story. This is important to me because it enables me to reach a wider audience and be more inclusive in information sharing.”
Lyneisha is grateful for her diverse educational and professional experiences. Prior to joining CPEX, she worked in transportation, housing, and disaster recovery. Her career trajectory has helped her to connect the dots and develop a comprehensive approach to planning. “For instance, if you work in housing, you have to understand its proximity to jobs and how people traverse to and from home; it’s all connected.”
Lyneisha is excited to bring her spatial understanding, GIS and data analysis expertise to CPEX. “At CPEX, we continuously do the work to study trends and the changing dynamics of the planning landscape. I love the fact that we’re not necessarily waiting on local leaders to tell us what they need, but providing them resources that can support their vision for their communities, and when they do seek us out, we’re prepared.”
Lyneisha is originally from Trinidad and Tobago. She moved to New Orleans four years ago and has settled into life as a New Orleanian transplant. Considered the “northern most point of the Caribbean,” New Orleans has several elements that remind her of home. “New Orleans is very similar to the Caribbean -- from Mardis Gras, which has the same roots as our Carnival, to how much food and music is embedded in the culture.” While southeast Louisiana doesn’t have the beaches of the Caribbean, Lyneisha is enjoying exploring the lakes and bayous the region has to offer with her dog, Bailey. In her spare time pre-pandemic, Lyneisha was an avid salsa dancer but now spends much of her time playing tennis, a more socially distant hobby, while she anxiously waits to get back on the dance floor.