Jen Heal Commissioner

Jen is an urban designer and planner with a particular interest in placemaking in new and existing town centres and neighbourhoods. Jen is co-chair of the Design Commission for Wales’ national design review service. She leads on DCFW’s placemaking agenda advising on policy and writing guidance. Jen delivers training to the public and private sector and coordinates events including Places for Life, a conference exploring how to create better mixed use communities with a sense of place. Her specialties are in public space and street design, neighbourhood improvement and regeneration, residential and mixed use masterplanning. She has a broad range of experience working with the public and private sector and housing associations to deliver town centre strategies, environmental improvement schemes and design concepts before beginning her role at the Design Commission.

She believes that working with people is critical to understanding a place and unlocking how to improve it and therefore engagement and participation are key to any project. She has a wide scope of experience of using different engagement techniques as well as delivering training to equip people with the knowledge and understanding to participate effectively in the planning and design process.