Kelsey Huse is one of Innovate Memphis’ graduate assistants from the University of Memphis Housing & Community Development Fellowship. She is currently pursuing a masters in City & Regional Planning and has been working on transportation initiatives like Street Fair as well as Data Midsouth projects with her background in software engineering.  Get to know Kelsey’s contributions and insights with our Staff Spotlight Q&A

What brought you to Memphis and the City & Regional Planning program at the University of Memphis?

I was a Software Engineer in Austin, TX prior to being in Memphis. I was also a grassroots organizer in my spare time, working on housing and transportation initiatives, most notably the Rethink35 campaign. I spent a lot of time studying urban planning informally and felt it was time to make the switch officially in 2024. I chose Memphis because I have family here and I was excited about the faculty and the City & Regional Planning program at University of Memphis. Particularly the Italy Community Planning and Ecological Design (CoPED) Summer School option, the relationship between the city, nonprofits and the University, and the diversity of backgrounds and expertise of the faculty.

You had a big role in developing Innovate Memphis’ “newly renovated” Property Hub mapping tool. What features of the Property Hub are you most excited about and how can people use it to support their housing & community development work?

I am big on envisioning the future, and I think the Memphis Property Hub gives people a way to do just that. The Property Hub allows its users to find visual patterns in neighborhoods where new development and improvement opportunities could occur. An example of that is looking at parcels of vacant land available in a certain area that might be a good place to develop affordable housing or for a community land trust to acquire it.

You’re very passionate about how we can improve safety and connectivity with our local street infrastructure. How can our new Street Fair initiative support this work?

Smart Growth America rated Memphis #1 in its most recent report on most dangerous streets for pedestrians in the U.S. I see that as the catalyst Memphis needed to make real change, and the Street Fair initiative is right on time. I believe that most people want the same things – community, connection, and safety. But what we are lacking is the vision to get us there with walkability and other safe transportation options. I highlight my own concerns and joy while getting around Memphis on foot or on bicycle on my memphisurbanism Instagram page. I hope that the Street Fair initiative goes one step further, connecting us all under one umbrella to advocate for the change needed to improve safety and mobility in Memphis.

What are some hidden gems in Memphis that more people should know about?

Memphis has a lot of fun bike trails and paths that can take you to some fun destinations. I’m all about biking as transportation, and my focus is on socializing over exercising. So I recommend grabbing a friend or two and going somewhere together. Here are some of my favorites:

Take the Shelby Farms Greenline all the way to Cordova and grab a coffee at the Team Car Cafe inside Latting Speed Shop.

You can now take the Broad Avenue Hampline directly to the Heights Line, which are both protected bike paths! Some of my favorite destinations along those lines are City & State Coffee, Non-Vintage Wine Bar, Maciel’s Tacos on Summer Avenue, and the newly opened Cxffee Black on National Street.

Going downtown from midtown is possible because of the bike lane on Peabody Avenue. Check out Pearl’s Tea & Coffee House, or go all the way downtown to Beale Street or South Main. The possibilities are endless!

What are you most looking forward to accomplishing this school year?

I am most excited about my Digital Storytelling class where we are collaborating with Klondike Smokey City CDC. The Klondike neighborhood has an important history as the oldest neighborhood built for African Americans within the city limits of Memphis. Tom Lee was also gifted a house in Klondike after his heroic rescue in the Mississippi River. I am looking forward to archiving and honoring the stories of people whose histories in Klondike go way back. The neighborhood is going through a revitalization, with the development of Northside Square and the Klondike Community Land trust acquisition of over a hundred properties. There is always the threat of gentrification and displacement when change happens, and a lot of care and thought is going into the redevelopment of this important neighborhood while ensuring current residents benefit and are not pushed out.

You can follow Kelsey for more on her popular Instagram account, memphisurbanism

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