Libertad Figuereo

Libertad Figuereo is a policy analyst at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy in the opportunity and equity team, currently contributing to the Legacy Cities initiative. Libertad is an adjunct instructor at the University at Buffalo, where she teaches in the School of Architecture and Planning. In her academic role some of the projects that she has led include examining how memorials and public art can enhance a sense of place and identity, how to design age-friendly cities, and how to align regional planning with community-driven design through a university-wide practical course that engages students with local community members to develop their ideas. The course, One Region Forward’s Champions for Change, is a recipient of the 2020 Lincoln Institute’s Curriculum Innovation Award. Prior to entering the field of urban planning, Libertad attended the University of South Florida, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in both psychology and criminology. Libertad worked for an extended period in the field of social work, before she became interested in the effects of the built environment on human behavior. Combined with her long-time admiration for architecture, this interest led her into her current field of study, urban planning and historic preservation, as a bridge between both the social and built environments. Libertad is a graduate of the University at Buffalo with a Master of Urban Planning and Graduate Certificate in Historic Preservation.