Wayne Feiden

Wayne Feiden is Director of Planning and Sustainability for Northampton, MA and a part-time Lecturer of Practice at the University of Massachusetts. He led Northampton to earn the nation’s first 5-STAR Community rating for sustainability and the highest “Commonwealth Capital” score, the former Massachusetts scoring of municipal sustainability efforts, as well as “Bicycle-Friendly,” “Pedestrian-Friendly”, “APA Great Streets,” and “National Historic Trust Distinctive Communities” designations. In this role, he has helped address transportation, amenities, land use and other aspects of downtown revitalization. Wayne’s areas of interest include downtown and urban revitalization, multi-modal transportation, open space preservation, sustainability and resiliency, and assessing sustainability.

Wayne has also led or served on 25 design assessment teams as well as other assessment efforts from Vermont to Haiti. He has authored American Planning Association PAS Reports on Local Agency Planning Management, Assessing Sustainability, Planning Issues of Onsite and Decentralized Wastewater, and Performance Guarantees. Wayne’s Bellagio Residency, German Marshall Fund fellowship (Northern Ireland, England and Denmark), Fulbright Specialist fellowships (South Africa and New Zealand), and Eisenhower Fellowship (Hungary) all focused on urban revitalization and sustainability.

Wayne is a fellow of the American Institute of Certified Planners. His other awards include honorary member of Western Mass AIA, professional planner and advocacy planner awards from APA-MA, and American Trails Advocacy Award.