Candidate Profile: Courtney Knapp, Brookfield Planning Commission

BROOKFIELD, CT — The 2023 municipal election is heating up in Brookfield and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office.

Brookfield Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as Election Day draws near.

Professor of urban and community planning, and planning consultant, Courtney Knapp, 42, is running for election to a seat on the Brookfield Planning Commission as a Democrat. She holds a Ph.D. in city and regional planning from Cornell University, a Master of Arts in urban and environmental policy and planning from Tufts University, a Master of Arts in gender and cultural studies from Simmons University (College), and a Bachelor of Arts in political science and philosophy from Simmons University (College). She is married to Rebecca, and the couple has two sons: Abram (3) and Roger (6 weeks).

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

no

Have you ever held a public office, whether appointive or elective?

no

Why are you seeking this office?

When Rebecca and I relocated from Brooklyn, New York, to Brookfield, Connecticut, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we were motivated to improve our living (and unexpected work-from-home) conditions for our small but growing family. Enchanted by its rolling green foothills, sparkling water, and prominent crafts center, we moved here knowing little about the town. Three years later, we’ve happily chosen to stay and continue to grow our family here because we’re now deeply connected to this small-but-mighty place and its people.

I am motivated by these connections to run for the town’s Planning Commission. I am a certified urban planner and community planning professor with nearly twenty years of experience in the areas of community engagement, economic development, and affordable housing planning. I want to work with local stakeholders here in Brookfield to grow housing, economic, and environmental opportunities for people who live and work in this town– everyone, every person, regardless of their income level, educational attainment, or housing tenure.

Brookfield is a place steeped with history and tradition, a small town with industrial and agricultural tenacity and grit. Still, opportunities exist to bring it fully into the 21st century as a model small town, dedicated to sensible and equitable planning and land use decision making, improved social opportunities and community wealth for residents and workers, environmental health, and climate resilience.

As a member of the Planning Commission, I can apply my expertise to help guide planning and development in Brookfield into this hopeful future.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ___, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The climate crisis. I intend to work with local stakeholders to transition our housing, transportation, energy, and economic development systems away from fossil fuels and toward a regenerative future.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I have nearly 20 years experience working directly in the field of community planning. I have worked with and served communities across the United States to create more sustainable and equitable places.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

employment, workforce development, affordable housing

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Be open to having your mind changed.