Urban Design + Development
Alex Joyce
Managing Partner
Alex has over a decade of experience managing complex strategic plans, urban designs and development finance projects across the United States. This includes managing public-private development offerings, urban designs for corridors, districts and transit stations, and financial analysis of zoning standards and development incentive programs. Alex's most recent work includes leading development feasibility analyses, site planning and due diligence for several public agencies interested in catalytic, public-private partnership development projects.
Alex's passion and expertise in design and finance are the driving forces in his work. His approach is rooted in the philosophy that a successful project needs both the vision to inspire excitement and buy-in, but also the pragmatic, financial strategy to actually get built.
Alex has Master's Degrees in both Urban Planning and Design, and Commercial Real Estate Development. He is a member of the Urban Land Institute. Alex is active in Portland civic life and enjoys spending time in the Cascade mountains hiking and snowboarding.
Urban Analytics + Scenario Planning
Alex Steinberger
Managing Partner
Alex is an urban planner and economist with a strong foundation in geographic information systems (GIS). His experience in scenario planning and transit-oriented development allows him to fulfill a broad range of project needs – from urban design to redevelopment analysis.
Alex's work focuses on corridor analysis, housing, and economic development. He has experience working at a range of scales, from site-specific redevelopment projects to regional visioning efforts. Past projects include redevelopment feasibility analysis for a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor in San Antonio, Texas and a station area development strategy for a planned high capacity transit line in Portland, Oregon.
In every project, Alex employs cutting edge planning tools and techniques with an eye for communicating complex topics to non-technical audiences. His experience has taught him that technical analysis is only as useful as the story it is able to tell.
Alex holds a Master of Urban and Regional Planning from Portland State University. In his spare time, he enjoys backpacking, baking, traveling, curing meat, and spending time on, in, and around water of all kinds.
Visioning + Public Engagement
Irene Kim
Partner
Irene Kim is an urban planner specializing in public engagement strategy and visual communications on a broad range of projects with public agencies including site-specific redevelopment, corridor, housing, parks, active transportation, and construction projects. Her unique experience in planning and graphic design allows her to communicate complex information to diverse audiences in inspiring ways. She is a skilled problem-solver creating innovative and inclusive engagement processes and tools to gain meaningful and constructive outcomes.
Irene holds a Master of Urban and Regional Planning from Portland State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture & Community Design from the University of San Francisco. She is an Adjunct Faculty Member at Portland State University and teaches Participatory Planning in the Master of Urban and Regional Planning Program. Irene served as a Board Member for ROSE Community Development for six years and served as Board President for two years.
In her spare time, she enjoys backpacking, the occasional art project, international adventures, and spending time with her friends and family. Irene is also fluent in Korean.
Zoning + Housing Policy
Jamin Kimmell
Partner
Jamin is an urban planner with experience in a diverse range of projects and disciplines. His work has included affordable housing plans, transit-oriented development, comprehensive plans, commercial district revitalization, urban design, development permitting, and development code updates. Jamin's recent projects have focused on planning and code initiatives to shape a more equitable and affordable housing market.
Jamin has worked in the public and private sectors. He has both authored zoning codes and led projects through the permitting process. He focuses on crafting solutions that achieve community goals while reducing barriers to development.
In every project, Jamin helps clients make decisions that are informed by sound technical analysis and a clear understanding of impacts on communities. He combines a rigorous approach to analytical work with an ability to translate technical information into an accessible and engaging narrative.
Jamin holds a Master of Urban and Regional Planning from Portland State University and is a graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder. In his spare time, he enjoys volunteering for a local non-profit housing organization and exploring the northwest with his family.
Equity Analysis + Environment
Sachi Arakawa
Managing Partner
Sachi Arakawa is an urban planner working on issues around equity and the environment. In her work she advocates for smart land use and planning that increases livability and minimizes negative human impacts on the environment and climate. With a background in both data analysis and community engagement, she utilizes community knowledge alongside data analysis, for a more nuanced understanding of complex planning issues.
Besides her passion for planning, Sachi enjoys hiking, looking at bugs and plants, lifting weights at her neighborhood gym, and spending time at home with her too many pets.
LinkedIn→
Policy Analysis + Economic Development
Rachel Cotton
Project Director
Rachel is an urban planner with a wide variety of experience spanning the public, private, and non-profit sectors. Her work has focused on housing, economic development, marketing and data analysis, parks and trails planning, visioning, participatory GIS, and policy choices. She is a skilled facilitator who approaches economic development, planning, and public engagement work with an equity and inclusion lens. Rachel is a strong believer in data-driven decision-making, with a passion for creating meaningful opportunities for community input and engaging populations impacted by inequity throughout the duration of planning processes.
Rachel holds a Master of Urban and Regional Planning from Portland State University along with a Graduate Certificate in Real Estate Development. She is AICP certified by the American Planning Association and is the Co-Chair of the Coastal Equity and Inclusion Committee.
Born and raised in Boston, Rachel made the move out to Oregon over a decade ago, feeling like she had finally arrived at home. She has been living in a small city on the Oregon coast since 2014. In her free time she enjoys surfing, reading, gardening, exploring the world on foot and by camper van, and spending time with her family.
Land Use + Public Engagement
ANAÏS MATHEZ
Project Director
Anaïs is a land use planner and community engagement specialist, and brings over a decade of experience managing a broad range of projects from comprehensive plans and concept plans to community visioning efforts. She is skilled in facilitation, policy development and project management, collaborating with public agencies and community-based organizations to design and implement public processes that foster authentic dialogue and build trust across diverse communities. Anaïs facilitates small focus groups, large committees, and public workshops, and develops materials and presentations using clear language and compelling visuals that resonate across cultural and linguistic differences. Anaïs has led award-winning public engagement and comprehensive planning processes across Oregon, helping cities craft equitable and forward-thinking policy frameworks for managing growth and change in their communities over time.
Anaïs holds a Master of Urban and Regional Planning from Portland State University and is accredited through the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP). In her spare time, Anaïs loves to spend time with her family and community, hosting dinner parties, seeing live music, and traveling. She is usually found playing in the mountains and on the water, and is no stranger to Type 2 fun. Anaïs has native fluency in French.
Development Code + Land Use Policy
Mary Phillips
Project Director
Mary is a land use planner with nearly two decades of experience in both the public and private sectors, specializing in housing policy, urban design, and development code reform. Her work covers the full range of land use regulation, from drafting comprehensive plans, zoning codes, and design standards to administering and applying them as a public sector planner, giving her a practical, grounded understanding of what makes policy work in the real world.
Her expertise includes creating residential land use regulations and design standards that expand housing choice, support attainable housing, and reflect local community character. She has authored neighborhood master plans and historic preservation plans that maintain a unique sense of place while supporting sustainable growth, led development code audits and updates to streamline regulations and support equitable development, and refined design standards and development review processes to improve predictability and usability for all stakeholders. Throughout her work, she integrates meaningful public participation to ensure community voices help shape policy outcomes.
As a skilled communicator, Mary translates complex regulatory concepts for diverse audiences, including community members, practitioners, and decision-makers, to support thoughtful, informed policymaking. She brings that same clarity and care to every project, with a commitment to creating implementable land use policies that foster vibrant, inclusive communities.
She holds a Master of City and Regional Planning and a Bachelor of Architecture from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Outside of work, she can be found hiking and camping with her family, tending her farm, building with Legos, or playing saxophone in her local community band.
Data Analysis + Development
Paul Runge
Project Director
Paul has worked in research and consulting for nearly a decade, focused first on health care and more recently on his passions: cities, planning, and development. He has worked up and down the research pipeline as a writer, researcher, data analyst, and presenter. He prides himself on pairing thoughtful analysis with clear communication, whether through approachable visuals or compelling stories.
Paul's work and studies focus on land use, zoning, housing, and finance, always with the goal of making cities more equitable, sustainable, and livable. He earned a Master's Degree in Urban and Regional Planning and a Graduate Certificate in Real Estate Development from Portland State University in June 2021. As an undergraduate, he studied economics at dear old Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Paul has lived in Milwaukee's suburbs, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Madrid, Washington DC, New Orleans, and now Portland. He delights in walking and biking around the city, most of all with his partner, Audrey. Having grown up in the Midwest, he loves the thrill of glimpsing Mt. Hood from the city as well as the smell of Portland's trees in summer. In spare time, he is learning Japanese.
Development + Housing Policy
Rhey Haggerty
Senior Associate
Rhey is an urban planner with experience in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. Having worked in real estate development, consulting, research, and finance roles, she brings a comprehensive and multifaceted approach to her work.
Rhey has managed a variety of mission-driven developments, including co-living communities, land trust units, and affordable multifamily projects. As a consultant, she has worked with jurisdictions across the country to promote "missing middle" housing development through regulatory, policy, and advocacy-based interventions. She understands that real estate development is complex and approaches projects from multiple perspectives to ensure that they are feasible, address community needs, and most importantly promote equity and livability.
Rhey holds a Master's Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Portland State University and is a National Development Council-certified Rental Housing Development Finance Professional. She has lived in North Carolina, Hungary, Northern Ireland, and now Portland. In her free time, she enjoys walking around the city, hiking outside the city, and learning how to skateboard.
Public Engagement + Equitable Development
ANGELICA MARTINEZ SULVARAN
Senior Associate
Angelica's childhood in southern Mexico exposed her to the dynamic transformations of urban spaces. She developed a fascination for the complex interactions between cities and their inhabitants, and how they shaped and were shaped by each other's identities, cultures, and opportunities. She followed these interests throughout her education and career, living and working in different urban contexts such as New York City, Mexico City, and currently the Portland metropolitan area. She has over 12 years of experience in project management, public policy, community engagement and visual communications in both Mexico and the United States. As an urban planner, she strives to make the planning process more equitable and inclusive.
Angelica has a Master of Urban and Regional Planning from Portland State University, a Master of Science in Historic Preservation from Pratt Institute, and a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from the University of Veracruz, Mexico.
When she is not working, Angelica likes to dance, explore new restaurants, travel, or relax at home watching movies with her husband and her cat.
Real Estate + Economic Development
Lydia Ness
Senior Associate
Lydia is an urban planner who specializes in land use planning, housing policy, and community engagement. With an understanding of land use regulations and policy impacts on housing, she is committed to breaking down barriers and finding creative solutions to address local communities' housing needs. With a keen eye for detail, Lydia possesses an understanding of the intricacies of land use regulations, zoning ordinances, and local planning policies. This expertise enables her to identify potential hurdles in housing development and devise strategic solutions to address regulatory challenges, through projects such as zoning code audits and amendments, best practice research and analyses, and housing policy choices.
Navigating complex building codes and regulations can be overwhelming for many communities. By simplifying technical jargon and providing transparent guidance, she uses various community engagement activities and techniques to empower communities in the decision making process for local planning processes. It is through her experience with both the technical and engagement work that allows her to communicate complex planning issues for the public.
Development + Placemaking
Allison Platt
Senior Associate
Allie is an urban planner with broad experience in land use and transportation planning, development, infrastructure financing, and public engagement with experience working in both Oregon and California. Most recently Allie worked on a variety of incentives and policies to help remove barriers to infill, mixed-use, and housing development in a priority redevelopment area in Bend, Oregon. She believes the built environment significantly impacts our behavior, experience, and relationships. Therefore, she strives to stay up to date on planning best practices to promote livable, sustainable, and people-centered communities. She also understands that change can be extremely challenging for people and uses compassionate listening as well as her ability to simplify complex and technical concepts into easy to understand materials to help community members understand how planning can help them navigate change and uncertainty.
Allie holds a Master's Degree in Urban Environmental Policy and Planning from Tufts University and is a graduate from the University of California San Diego. She has lived in both rural and metropolitan areas in the United States, Spain, and India and has travelled to over 30 countries. In her free time, she can be found enjoying the outdoors hiking, biking, skiing and spending time with her husband and two sons.
LinkedIn→
Urban Design + Zoning
Pauline Ruegg
Senior Associate
Pauline is an urban planner with broad ranging experience in land use planning, zoning, and urban design. A critical thinker and keen observer, Pauline is a student of urban form and policy best practices. Her core skills include concept and master plans, development and design guidelines, code audits, and policy and best practice research and analyses. With twenty years of experience, Pauline has worked in Oregon, Washington, New York, California, and internationally.
Pauline's first job was commuting by ferry to a former Coast Guard base off the coast of Lower Manhattan. She has worked in the public and private sector and for companies large and small. No matter the project, she always seeks to identify the big idea and the clearest way to communicate in graphic or written form. She is a team player and seasoned project manager. Most recently she has conducted multiple code audits to identify barriers to middle housing and drafted form based development and design standards. She believes passionately in promoting a wide range of housing choice and is always looking for new ways to address issues of compatibility and attractive density.
Pauline has a Master's degree in Urban Planning and is a graduate of Brown University. When not out hiking, cross-country skiing, or mountain biking, Pauline spends her time overseeing her kids' school garden or reading a good book.
Data Analysis + Policy
Madeline Entrikin
Associate
Madeline is an urban planner with experience in public policy, regulatory compliance, and spatial analysis. With a background in design, she is passionate about the intersection of the built environment and the human experience, with a particular interest in environmental and social justice.
A cartography enthusiast, Madeline is passionate about the impact of visual storytelling. Her work has spanned the public and private sectors. Most recently, she led public policy strategy at a national short-term rental company, where she managed permitting compliance and built a GIS-based policy map to guide market entry decisions. She has also worked in local government in Alabama and in public-private partnerships in New York City, contributing to design and land use regulations, economic analyses, and transportation planning.
Madeline holds a Master of Science in Urban Planning from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from the University of San Diego. She loves to travel and will take any excuse to explore a new city on foot. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, learning new crafts, and baking.
Data Analysis + Environment
Sara Goldstein
Associate
Sara Goldstein specializes in urban issues that center climate justice, equity, and sustainability. Sara is passionate about healthy and resilient urban spaces and brings her experience in spatial (GIS), policy, and data analysis to complex interdisciplinary issues.
Sara has most recently worked as the Sustainability Data Analyst for the PSU Planning & Sustainability office conducting analyses on climate policy, greenhouse gas emissions, utility use, and transportation. She's also worked with PBOT evaluating public realm activation for their developing Public Street & Healthy Business Plaza program.
Sara holds a Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) degree from Portland State University, a Bachelors of Environmental Studies degree from Lewis & Clark College, and a Graduate Certificate degree in GIS from Portland Community College. She has supported Jola Ajibade, a PSU Geography professor in research around cascading climate disasters in the Portland area. In her spare time you can probably find her cuddling her pup Dozer.
Data Analysis + Policy
Lanier Hagerty
Associate
Lanier is an urban planner who has worked at the intersections of housing policy, public health, and data analysis. Most recently, Lanier worked as a geospatial analyst with a land use economics consulting firm. There, she led projects investigating disparities in tax assessment practices and reported on outcomes for community health and wealth. She has collaborated with grassroots community organizations, affordable housing non-profits, and supported local governments nationwide in crafting statistical and spatial analytic tools, translating research findings into actionable insights, and supporting policy-directed advocacy efforts.
Lanier holds a Master's in Urban Planning from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University. Before pursuing her master's degree, she lived in Beijing, working as an investigator with a global corporate research and investigations firm. While in China, she developed an appreciation for the ways in which social and political systems influence land use decisions.
Originally from South Carolina, Lanier has lived in the Midwest, Northeast, and abroad. She now calls Asheville, North Carolina home. In her free time, Lanier loves to hike, read, and play fetch with her dog, Alice.
Urban Design + Housing
Finley Heeb
Associate
Finley Heeb is an urban planner with a background in urban design, community engagement, transportation planning, and data visualization. They are passionate about fostering sustainable, equitable, and connected places where people have all the opportunities they need to thrive. Finley has worked in communities of varying sizes and they are familiar with many of the advantages and challenges that towns, cities, and counties face during the planning process. Having worked in public sector, private sector, and education & advocacy roles, they bring a well rounded perspective to planning for resilient places.
When they are not working, Finley is always listening to music, building playlists, and going to shows. They also enjoy doing crafts, playing games, and getting outfits for their dog. Finley's favorite pastime is walking their dog around the neighborhood to look for charming houses and cats to pet.
Urban Design + Land Use
Ana Rae Miller
Associate
Ana Rae is an urban designer and planner committed to creating vibrant, human-centered places. Her diverse background spans environmental policy, community organizing, food justice, geospatial analysis, entitlements, site planning, code reform, and long-range planning. This broad expertise allows her to effectively collaborate with a diverse range of stakeholders. Ana Rae is particularly passionate about crafting walkable communities, fostering healthy and active lifestyles, and designing environments that enhance daily life for everyone.
Ana Rae holds a Master of Urban and Regional Planning and a Master of Urban Design from the University of Colorado Denver, a Graduate Certificate in GIS from the University of Washington, and a Bachelor of Environmental Policy from Western Washington University.
A Seattle native, Ana Rae spent five years in Denver, pursuing graduate school and working on planning and design projects across the Mountain West. Now based in Bend, Oregon, she is excited to bring her valuable Colorado experiences back to the Pacific Northwest. Outside of work, Ana Rae is an outdoors enthusiast, whether it's trail running, biking, skiing, swimming, soccer, or tennis.
Code + Data Analysis
Tara Sorrels
Managing Partner
Tara is an urban planner with experience working in the public sector. Her background includes scenario planning, community engagement, development review, long-range planning, and zoning code reform. She most recently has worked on development review and informing and engaging in conversations with communities on the local land development code in Louisville, KY. During graduate school, she created an easily digestible guide to help a grassroots community organization in Kentucky better understand local planning processes. Her areas of interest include housing policy, zoning analysis, community engagement, visualizations and graphics, and scenario planning.
Tara holds a Master's in Urban and Regional Planning from The University of Colorado Denver and a Bachelors in International Business from Western Kentucky University. In her spare time, she enjoys trail running, reading, hiking, and cross-stitching.
Operations
Rebecca Moore
Operations Manager
Rebecca Moore is an administrative professional with a diverse background in non-profit, education, and design industries. Rebecca oversees the core functions that keep our team connected, supported, and moving forward. She leads our HR and marketing efforts, shaping internal systems that foster a strong team culture, support staff development, and communicate our work to the outside world. With a strategic eye and collaborative approach, she ensures our operational practices align with our values and goals, streamlining workflows, elevating our brand presence, and fostering a positive employee experience as our firm grows.
Rebecca holds a Master of Public Administration from Columbia University and an AAS in Interior Design from Portland Community College. In her free time, Rebecca enjoys exploring small towns and big cities and working on home design projects.
Marketing
Nichelle Dykema
Marketing Coordinator
Nichelle Dykema is the Marketing Coordinator at Cascadia Partners. She manages the firm's proposals from RFP tracking through submission, keeps its library of project descriptions and staff bios current, and keeps its marketing materials on brand. She brings more than 15 years of marketing and proposal experience in the architecture, engineering and construction industry. As Marketing and Business Development Coordinator at Murraysmith from 2008 to 2015, she ran the full proposal process for an engineering firm, from technical content to interview graphics. She has run her own marketing and design practice, Designich Creations, since 2014. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Finance from Boise State University and an associate degree in graphic design from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh.
Housing Policy + Land Capacity
Sun-Gyo Lee
Senior Associate
Sun-Gyo Lee, AICP, is a Senior Associate at Cascadia Partners. Before joining the firm, he led statewide implementation of accessory dwelling unit, middle housing and transit-oriented development legislation at the Washington State Department of Commerce, including drafting regulations and statewide guidance. Earlier, at Moore Iacofano Goltsman (MIG), his work spanned scenario planning and housing and land capacity analysis, including the Monroe and Kent comprehensive plan updates and the West Linn Contextualized Housing Needs Analysis and Housing Production Strategy. He holds a Master of Urban Planning from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.