Who We AreSince 2017, Building Better Cities has helped move transformational projects forward. We know firsthand that even the most promising developments can stall: high interest rates, misaligned stakeholders, lengthy delays. We see these moments as opportunities.
Development takes more than a good idea — it takes the right mix of planning, financing, and execution expertise, plus genuine collaboration among stakeholders. That's what we bring. Building Better Cities works alongside clients to turn projects into lasting impact.
Meet the Founder
Kate Gasparro founded Building Better Cities to help urban leaders find innovative, sustainable infrastructure solutions. She has led complex real estate and infrastructure projects across the public-private divide — from 200+ acres of development strategy at Bedrock in Detroit and Cleveland, to overseeing land development at FivePoint's 272-acre Candlestick Point community in San Francisco.
Kate holds a PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering and an MA in International Policy from Stanford, is a licensed Professional Engineer (PE), and has taught as a guest lecturer at the University of Michigan.
Testimonials
“Kate's ability to navigate the complexities of urban development, including multi-modal transportation planning, utility and easement coordination, environmental considerations, and multi-departmental City and Regional authority engagement, is truly remarkable. She possesses a unique blend of creativity and analytical thinking that allows her to identify innovative solutions to challenging problems, pivot nimbly, and consider strategic alternatives with foresight, all resulting in outcomes that exceed expectations.”
— Cullen Meves, Associate Principal, MKSK“Kate’s ability to unite different groups of people and lead them to focus and achieve a common goal is uncanny. In high profile projects, it is easy to become frustrated. Kate’s personality is welcoming, calm and respectful which has proved key to meeting milestones on our project.”
— Jason Hebert, VP, Great Lakes Construction“Kate has a remarkable ability to understand, organize and direct all aspects of a project from engineering and master planning to budgeting and entitlements. She has earned the respect of all of the many consultants involved by motivating, respecting and engaging each of the them, thereby achieving maximum productivity while making the experience enjoyable for all. But what impressed me most is her ability to listen carefully, learn from asking the right questions, assimilate the information and make informed decisions.”
— Don Frantz, President, Metro Consulting