Maya Baker

Background

About Maya Baker

I am an Associate Planner at McKenna, a planning firm that works in Midwest communities of all sizes and characters. At McKenna, I work on everything from citywide master planning, to zoning ordinance updates, to everyday zoning administration. I enjoy getting into the weeds of zoning law and finding ways to make massive, often outdated ordinances work for the modern age, and make sense for the average reader. My journey into urban planning began with an interest in cities and how people live in them. I received a bachelor's degree in Sociology with a focus in Cities, Action, Power, and Practice at DePaul University in Chicago. There I discovered an interest in how the built environment works in tandem with city policy and law to shape people's lives. I also discovered that while I enjoy big cities like Chicago, I am deeply fascinated by how planning works in places like my hometown of Grand Rapids, and other small cities. At University of Michigan, I studied Urban and Regional Planning and expanded my knowledge of the inner workings of planning and zoning law, as well as housing and economic policy.