Rachel Gaunce

Rachel joined MPC as an Associate in July 2023. She works across MPC projects in land use, transportation, and housing systems.

Prior to MPC, Rachel worked across the public, non-profit, and academic sectors in community-focused research, development, and advocacy. She most recently worked as a staffer for a Cincinnati City Councilmember advancing legislation in Equitable Transit Oriented Development (ETOD), and other housing and land use topics. In Chicago, she was awarded the Peters Fellowship at the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) where she led youth focus groups on a neighborhood plan and ETOD project. Rachel also served as an AmeriCorps VISTA for two housing non-profits where she worked in community outreach, client services, grant writing, and organizational partnerships. For nearly 10 years, Rachel has worked alongside her planning career facilitating participatory theatre workshops in the US and Kenya. In these participatory projects, Rachel aims to use theatre performance to explore meaningful community engagement practices in pursuit of social, legislative, and institutional change.

Rachel is happy to be back in Chicago after a two-year departure to the University of Cincinnati where she obtained her master’s degree in Community Planning with a specialization in Community Development. Born and raised in Ohio, she obtained her bachelor’s degree in Theatre Performance and Environmental Studies from Ohio University. She now lives in Chicago’s northwest side and enjoys biking, riding the “L” and enjoying the vibrant theatre scene Chicago has to offer.