Johanna Nyden
Community Development Director
Johanna is a Chicagoland urban planning and economic development professional with over two decades of experience shaping vibrant communities. She grew up in Evanston and attended Evanston Township High School. She graduated from Loyola University Chicago and holds a Master of Urban Planning and Policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago, with dual specializations in Physical Planning and Economic Development. Earlier in her career, she worked at a real estate and development advisory firm advising municipal clients on development projects as well as at the Center for Neighborhood Technology, a nonprofit focused on urban sustainability. She joined the City of Evanston in 2010, eventually rising to serve as its Community Development Director starting in 2017. During her tenure, she led initiatives ranging from mixed-use development to affordable housing expansion (and successful recruitment of a Trader Joe's). In August 2022, Nyden was appointed Community Development Director for the Village of Skokie, where she leads the Building & Inspection Services, Economic Vitality, and Planning Divisions. She and her family call the Skevanston neighorhood home.
In this episode, Aaron sits down with Johanna Nyden, Community Development Director for the Village of Skokie, for a grounded conversation about how housing, infrastructure, and development actually work at the local level. They unpack what’s really driving housing costs, the realities of aging housing stock, why permitting can feel frustrating, and how municipalities balance growth, safety, and affordability. Johanna also shares insight into “missing middle” housing, infrastructure constraints…