With support from talented consultants, Placement is led by its fearless Founder and Pratt Institute Graduate, Dr. Danielle Russell, PhD, PMP.

With over a decade of experience at the intersection of community development, public policy, and arts-based engagement, Danielle brings a uniquely interdisciplinary approach to placemaking that is both creative and grounded in data-driven strategy.

Danielle holds a B.A. in Arts Administration, an M.S. in Urban Placemaking & Management, a Project Management Professional certification, and a Ph.D. in Public Policy, with a research focus on environmental policy, poverty, and place-based equity. Her academic path reflects a lifelong commitment to understanding how space, culture, and policy coalesce to shape healthier, more vibrant communities.

A natural integrator of disciplines, Danielle balances the intuitive and analytical with ease. On one side, she draws on her deep appreciation for art, nature, social sciences, and philosophy—guided by an instinctive feel for aesthetics, community identity, and human behavior. Her thinking is shaped by the ways people connect to place, purpose, and each other. On the other hand, she brings the rigor of a policy analyst: fluent in geospatial mapping, statistical modeling, environmental economics, and project management. Her work in biophilic design and systems thinking bridges the gap between what places look like and how they make us feel.

Danielle’s professional journey spans roles in public administration, nonprofit leadership, and urban policy research, where she has designed and implemented community programs, conducted impact evaluations, secured funding, and advised on downtown revitalization, destination development, and equitable policy design. At Placement, she continues to champion creative solutions that integrate ecological awareness, cultural heritage, and human-centered design—empowering places and the people who shape them.