MABELLE ZHANG
Planning and Design Portfolio
Masters of City Planning 2025
Hi, it’s Mabelle
I’m interested in using design-thinking and participatory planning to create more equitable and climate-resilient places. I aim to blend equitable visions with deep understanding of stakeholder needs and local context to create executable and practicable plans. I’m currently pursuing my Masters in City Planning at the Massachusetts School of Technology where I’m focusing on City Design and Development and pursuing the Urban Design Certificate.
My approach to planning is informed by my experience in mission-driven planning, design, and development work. Before this, I worked a New York State agency on facililating urban planning and develop projects in New York City. These included affordable housing, public realm design, and master planning. I also worked at a community non-profit in Boston’s Chinatown where I built resident power through placemaking, housing, and organizing. I started my career studying Public Policy and Economics at Duke University for my undergraduate degree.
In my free time, you can find me at makers spaces making prints, paintings, and more. You can also find me strolling around Cambridge on the lookout for the perfect cup of matcha or cooking up a new dish in the kitchen.
01
02 Bernard Rudolph Square - Open Space Design
03 Hudson Street StoopPlacemaking Project
04
01 Infographic & Data Visualization
02 GIS Spatial Analysis
03 Site Analysis
04 Modeling and Massing
Projects
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Development
Magazine Terrace - Mixed Use
Proposal
Resident Leadership Workshop Series - Community Engagement Skills
PROJECTS
MAGAZINE TERRACE
Type: Student Work | Team
Year: Fall 2023 | MIT DUSP
Instructor: Eran Ben-Joseph, Mary AnneO’Campo
Team: Web Farabow, Alejandra Martinez, Yiwen Huang
Context:
Cambridge is in a housing crisis. Our site is a uniquely underdeveloped 7-acre site home to Trader Joe’s and Microcenter on the Cambridgeport. Magazine Terrace is an opportunity to maximize one of the few underdeveloped waterfront parcels by providing a housing oriented community to complete the Charles River water.
Magazine Terrace prioritizes housing and community assets through playful use of towers. The project will provide 570 units of housing, with 30% of units being affordable. As existing community assets, Microcenter and Trader Joe’s are relocated on-site.
Individual Contribution:
I led on 3-D Massing and Modeling, Site Sections, Axonometric Drawings, and Housing Program Design. I collaborated on project ideation.
Precedents
3-D Site Model
Section view: Skyline
Peabody Terrace Cambridge Wooden Housing Proposal Tham & Videgard, Stockholm live
Completing the Charles
01
work shop live eat
Charles Riverfront
Design Features
Program Details:
Above-Ground Land Use
FAR: 2.3
Housing: 570 Units
474,000 sqft.
Studio: 140 2-Bed: 169
1-Bed: 206 3-Bed: 55
40% Family-Sized
30% Affordable
Commercial: 200,000 sqft.
Retail/Commercial: 106,000
Office: 94,000
Educational: 9,000 sqft.
Parking: 708 Spaces
live
meet
10 ft N
the Woonerf
learn
Memorial Drive
BERNARD RUDOLPH SQUARE
Work: Academic - Urban Design Skills
Year: Fall 2023 | MIT DUSP
Instructor: Eran Ben-Joseph, Mary Anne O’Campo,
Team: Alula Hunsen, Khadija Ghanizada, Milan Chuttani
Context:
Bernard Rudolph Square is a proposal to create commercially viable, people-centered, climate conscious square between Cambridgeport and MIT’s far-west campus.
This design builds upon Fort Washington Park by expanding green and public space into existing surface parking lots. This green space will include a free urban garden, addressing local food needs. Transit and mobility options will be expanded and include transforming the CSX rail line into a Bus Rapid Transit.
In uplifting local histories, our proposal is named after Bernard Rudolph, a Cambridgeport resident who was instrumental in preserving Fort Washington Park, which locals affectionately call Bernard Rudolph park.
Individual Contribution:
I created site renderings, participated in drawing out the site plan, and conducted site analysis and opportunity and constraints mapping.
Site Analysis
Precedents
Land use Fences Natural Systems 02 MBTA’s Columbus Ave Bus Lane
Making
Cambridge’s Next Big Square
Entering
SQUARE
the Fruit Forest
Stepping Off the Bus
Atlanta Beltline Trail Urban Farming Institute in Mattapan
HUDSON STREET STOOP
Professional Work: Asian Community Development Corp.
Year: 2021-2022
Role: Project Manager
Context:
Hudson Street Stoop (HSS) is a rotating public art initiative to activate One Greenway Park. The project convenes residents and local artists to co-create art that reminds working-class individuals and families they belong in Chinatown. HSS is part of ACDC’s ANCHOR placemaking and placekeeping strategy.
The 2021 inaugural installation, “Storytell and Sway” by artist Gianna Stewart, pays homage to the Hudson Street’s 1950s and 1960s vibrant neighorhood stoop culture. Before highway construction demolished the homes on this site, immigrant families from China, Lebanon, and Syria gathered and played on the streets, sidewalks, and stoops.
Individual Contribution:
As project manager, I sunset “Storytell and Sway” and planned the future installation. In sunsetting, I oversaw two site activations, faciliated an interview process where residents shared memories, and coordinated de-installation. Subsequently, I led the call for artists, where I organized selection process, laid out project vision and scope, and oversaw three community visioning sessions. Additionally, I managed project budget, two project interns,and funding applications.
Spring 2021: Install Storytell
As the inaugural installation, Storytell Sway involved a long community feedback process. Residents were tell their stories, which where etched benches.
HSS activations for people Day, Open-Mic Reading Cart. gether a wide elderly, residents grants and
03
A Placekeeping Summer
Placekeeping Initiative to Create a Neighborhood “Stoop”
and Sway
Storytell and community design and were invited to etched into the
Fall 2022: De-install and Preserve Memories
Storytell and Sway became a beloved community landmark by many. To honor this as we de-installed, we hosted listening sessions where we heard and preserved memories of this installation
2021 - 2022: Activate Through Play
activations focused on celebrating play of all ages. Activites included Field Open-Mic Night, Art Night, and Chinatown Cart. These activations brought towide range of people - children and residents and non-residents, immilong-time Bostonites.
Fall 2022: Co-Design a New Installation
Residents engaged in a series of visioning and designing workshops with artists to co-create the next installation.
RESIDENT LEADERSHIP WORKSHOP 04
Professional Work: Asian CDC
Year: Summer/Fall 2022
Role: Project Manager
Collaborators Mel King Institute, CCLT
Context:
The Resident Leadership Workshop Series was a pilot series that aimed to develop leadership and organizing skills for residents in ACDC buildings. The series consisted of 4 two-hour bi-lingual (Cantonese & English) workshops.
The Series was born out of identifying several challenges among resident engagement including no official tenant associations, lack of familiarty among residents, and ongoing issues with property management.
In total, 11 residents participated and provided overwhelmingly positive feedback. Following training, residents will be plugged into a working group, where they can share issues and work on campaigns.
Individual Contribution:
I led program creation and strategy, program logistics, outreach, and recruitment. I also assisted on curriculum creation and workshop faciliation.
Our first session opened with a introduced residents to Chinatown Chinatown has experienced many engaged in acts of resistance at invited to add personal feelings, experiences in post-it notes to
Our second session highlighted power comes from relationships neighbors. Residents engaged exercises simulating mobilizing different situations.
Workshop 1: Intro to Organizing
Workshop 2: Building Power
Inaugural Resident Leadership Cohort
WORKSHOP Building Resident Power
Concepts and Chinatown History
a Gallery Walk Activity, which Chinatown organizing history. While many injustices, residents at each turn. Residents were feelings, questions, and family histories/ the timeline.
highlighted grassroots relationships with engaged in role-playing mobilizing neighbors in
in Chinatown
Workshop 3: Radical Inclusion
Our third session focused on resident stories where residents were asked to share stories of exclusion and inclusion. From these stories, trainers pulled out similar themes and used them to talk about the importance of inclusion.
Workshop 4: Network Building
Our last session focused on applying workshop lessions to identify organzing goals for the group. This included identifying campaigns such as rent stabilization, safe streets, and Parcel R-1 for residents to mobilize around.
Power
SKILLS
SKILLS: InDesign, Census/ACS Data, Data Visualization, Graphic Design
I created a comprehensive rent stabilization report for Asian Community Development Corporation when I was worked as a community planning and policy associate. The aim of the report was to inform ACDC’s own policy decision on how to best support rent stabilization.
These pages are selected samples from the entire report showing my infographic design and data visualizations skills. Information was pulled from the census, community organizations, and research.
INCREASES HOUSING STABILITY Tenants n rent-stab l zed un ts are ess l ke y to move out than tenants n uncontro led units demonstrating ncreased housing stabil ty (D amond McQuade and Q an 2018 Glaeser and Luttmer 2003; Gyourko and Linneman 1989 Heskin Levine and Garrett 2000; S ms 2007) These pol cies a ded tenants to avo d de facto ev ct ons from h gher rents (G lderb oom and Ye 2007; Pastor, Carter and Abood 2018) 2 MAY EFFECT NEW CONSTRUCTION No clear re ationsh p has been found between rent stabi ization and new housing construction (G lderb oom and Ye 2007 Turner 1990) However this may be mpacted by pol c es that exempt new constructions from rent pol cies ((Ear y 2000 G aeser 2003) 4 3 REDUCES RENTAL SUPPLY Renta regu ations have been shown to be related to a reduction n overa l rental un ts Stud es find andlords reduce rental supply through converting renta units into owner-occupied units or condomin um un ts (D amond McQuade and Q an 2018) However this type of conversion suggests it can be im ted by proper pol c es (Pastor Carter and Abood 2018) MAINTAINS BELOWMARKET RENTS Rent stab l zat on programs have ach eved the r goa for owering and maintaining rents at belowmarket rates In stud es on San Francisco New York and Cambridge a l showed rent stabi ization programs owered rents for contro led units (Autor Palmer and Pathak 2014 D amond McQuade and Q an 2018; Early 2000; Hesk n Lev ne and Garrett 2000 Sims 2007) 1 RENT STABILIZATION Impact of Source: Rajasekaran, Prasanna, Mark Treskon, and Solomon Greene. "Rent control: What does the research tell us about the effectiveness of local action?." (2019). MAY IMPROVE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY Residen ial stab lity a proven outcome of stabi izat on programs s assoc ated w th long-term phys ca & menta health outcomes (Bures 2003 Gilman et al 2003) However resident al stab lity does not have the same pos tive effects n poorer ne ghborhoods (Ross Reyno ds and Geis 2000) Addit ona ly t s unclear whether these programs have an effect of essen ng gentrif cat on ( Autor et a 2014 Sims 2007) 6 MAY REDUCE RACIAL DISPARITIES People of co or are more l ke y to be renters and ow income compared to white people However evidence s m xed on whether people of color access rent-stabi ized units n proportion to their popu ation share or housing need (S ms 2007; Gilderbloom and Ye 2007) Racial d scrim nat on may play a factor (Carpusor and Loges 2006 Massey and Lundy 2001) 8 7 MAY EFFECT HOUSING QUALITY Rental pol cies may d scourage land ords from ma nta ning the qua ity of the r units or from cap ta mprovements (Arnott and Shevyakhova 2014 Gyourko and Linneman 1989) However pol cy changes such as as po icies that enforce strict code v o ations or that al ow rent increases only f landlords ma nta n upkeep has show to encourage maintainence (Pastor Carter and Abood 2018 Sturtevant 2018) 5 RENT STABILIZATION Impact of MAY NOT HELP THOSE MOST IN NEED Rent stabi ization programs have not been successful n target ng its benefits to lower income res dents Studies show middle to h gh income res dents and fami ies benef t at simi ar rates to low income ones (Pas or Carter and Abood 2018; Sturtevant 2018) Addit onal y tenants tend to be older and single rather than fam l es (Glaeser 2003) Source: Rajasekaran, Prasanna, Mark Treskon, and Solomon Greene. "Rent control: What does the research tell us about the effectiveness of local action?." (2019). Year Affordab e Un ts Market-Rate Units Total Units 2000 1 911 909 2 820 2010 2 094 2 095 4,189 2020 2 544 3 152 5,696 Percent Change 33 12% 246 75% 101 99% As construction of market-rate units outpace affordable units by 9 times, Boston's Chinatown is gentrifying and increasingly unaffordable for the Ch natown fam ly with a median salary of $40,210 Despite an increase in Boston Chinatown s housing stock from 2000 to 2020 this ncrease is argely driven by construct on of market-rate units From 2000 to 2020 the number of market-rate un ts ncreased by 246 75% whereas the number of affordab e units increased by 33 12% Chinatown & Downtown Residents for O Res dents are Renters 91% Residents spend over 50% of ncome on housing 1 in 4 COMMUNITY PROFILE: Housing & Renting in Chinatown Of Residents are BIPOC 58% Chinatown has a great unmet need for affordable hous ng especial y for extremely ow (<30% AMI) to very low income (30% to 50% AMI) units 60% of Chinatown and Downtown Households are considered low-income very ow ncome or extremely low income However only 45% of hous ng un ts n Chinatown are affordable Source: 2011-2015 Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), 20132017 ACS 5 year survey, U.S. Census Bureau Table B25091 and B25070 Chinatown Land Trust Housing Construction Tracking Dataset, last updated 12/2019 INFOGRAPHIC & DATA VISUALIZATION 01
Source: : 2011-2015 Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), 20132017 ACS 5 year survey, U.S. Census Bureau Table B25091 and B25070 Chinatown Land Trust Housing Construction Tracking Dataset, last updated 12/2019 Less than 30% 30% to 50% 50% or More Lessthan$10K $10Kto$20K $20Kto$35K $35Kto$50K $50Kto$75K$75Kto$100K$100KorMore 1,500 1,000 500 0 High rent burdens disproportionately fall on lower income households Severely rent burdened households, who pay over 50% of income on rent, are concentrated below $75K, and especially below $35K RENT PAYMENTS AS % OF INCOME
PEOPLE 53% BIPOC 39% ASIAN CHINATOWN PROFILE: BY PEOPLE BY HOUSEHOLD Under $15,000 $15,000 to $34,999 $35,000 to $74,999 $75,000 to $149,999 Over $150,000 26% 19% 15% BY INCOME 11% 28%
HOUSEHOLDS 40% FAMILY MEDIAN ANNUAL HOUSEHOLD INCOME $47,779 Households spend over 50% of income on rent 1 in 5 Households spend over 30% of income on rent 2 in 5 16% HOUSEHOLD FAMILY POVERTY RATE 20.5% FAMILY 28% 18% 8% 29% VISUALIZATION
15,801
5,124
GIS SPATIAL ANALYSIS 02
Skills: GIS, American Census and ACS, Geoprocessing Tools
I conducted spatial analyses on language and demographic in the Bronx for the Bronx River Watershed Alliance, my hypothetical client. These findings were translated into a policy recommendation.
The Case for Multilingual Signage in the Bronx River Greenway
Multilingual signage in Spanish and English along the Bronx River Greenway could better accommodate local language needs.
Demographic data from the American Community Survery mapped on to the Bronx shows high % of Spanish speakers throughout the Bronx.
Even more specifically, 50% of residents living near the Watershed speak spanish. To identify this, I joined demographic data with the Watershed shape, then analyzed languages spoken at home.
Data Source: 2014-2019 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
English 39% -
% of Spanish Speakers by Census Tract
2014-2019 Census Tracts
Languages
Spoken at Home in Tracts Intersecting the Bronx River Watershed - Spanish 50%
% of Hispanic or Latino/a Origin by Census Tract
2014-2019 Census Tracts
Examining Enviromental Risks to the Bronx River Watershed
Land Use by Parcel in the Bronx CSO Watershed with the Largest Land Area for Industry
Data Source: NYC PLUTO
To begin, I joined land use data with parcel geometries. Then for each of the five watersheds in the Bronx, I summed land area used for industry. Finally, I was able to identify which watershed has the largest landarea for industry and map out its land use
To identify potential point pollution sources, I mapped all garages and gasoline stations in the bronx. I then found the highest concentration of these points in a ten-block radius.
Potential Point Polllution Source Cluster in the Bronx
SITE ANALYSIS 03
SKILLS: QGIS, Adobe Illustrator, Graphic Design
I conducted these site analysis for a site in Cambridgeport, MA. These selected analyses demonstrate my workflow, from pulling spatial data in QGIS to editing and analyzing trends in Illustrator.
GIS Green Space Data
GIS Circulation Data
GIS Land Use Data
Land Use
Green
Pedestrian
GIS Contour Lines GIS Circulation Data Green and Open Space Network Pedestrian Circulation Auto-Circulation Water Flow MemorialDrive
MODELING & MASSING
SKILLS: Rhino, 3-D Modeling, Massing
I led 3-D modeling for a team urban design project. These diagrams demonstrate my modeling workflow.
As a team, we brainstormed massing and site design using physical blocks.
Based on our ideation, I confirmed measurements for our buildings and streets to ensure they were realistic and matched existing typologies/best practices.
After confirming measurements, I modeled our design in Rhino.
I brought our finalized axon rendering into Illustrator to clean our model up and add graphic elements. This axon would serve as a base to further explain aspects of our design.
Initial Ideation
Confirming Measurements and Typologies
Modeling and Rendering in Rhino
Cleaning and Editing in Illustrator
04
