Borough Planner
Bronx Borough Office at the New York City Department of City Planning
Brenna Hemmings works as a Borough Planner in the Bronx Borough Office at the New York City Department of City Planning (NYC DCP). Brenna is a Bronx native and resides in the borough. Her current work is varied and includes reviewing and analyzing Bronx-specific land use applications, liaising with the borough’s Community Boards, and presenting to the City Planning Commission. In addition to these responsibilities, she also participates in larger borough-wide studies like the Borough Office’s Cross Bronx study and prepares documents for public review. Before joining NYC DCP, she worked in the private sector at Kramer Levin Naftalis and Frankel LLP as a Land Use Paralegal and in the nonprofit sector at MIT Community Innovators Lab as a Summer Intern and later a Research Associate.
Brenna started her urban planning career at the New York City Department of Design and Construction as a Summer Graduate Intern in the agency's Public Buildings division and later as a College Aide for Town+Gown: NYC. As a lifelong learner, Brenna enjoys planning work because it touches many different fields and allows her to meet different people and learn from them. As a Black woman, racial equity is always at the forefront of her work. She’s an alumnus of the SUNY New Paltz Honor’s Program and proudly served as its first Honor’s Program Liaison.
Brenna also obtained her Master of Urban Planning degree in 2020 with a concentration in Housing and the Built Environment from Hunter Colleges and credits her initial interest in planning to SUNY New Paltz professors.
In her free time, Brenna keeps her plants alive with a smile, loves reading and writing, time with loved ones, and spending time in the kitchen. She loves seeing how far public transit can take her throughout NYC. She’s excited to participate in this year’s Summit!
