About

At Civic Space Collaborative we engage people, of all ages and backgrounds, in the transformation of their public spaces.

Through participatory planning and design with diverse partners, we create projects that offer a sense of belonging for everyone, integrate environmental resiliency into the everyday, and showcase genuine community identity. 

“Defying the proscribed groove that a statewide project could have sent us down, Civic Space Collaborative took the time to truly understand what makes Northampton tick prior to giving excellent advice and counsel. They ran tight, fun, and engaging meetings that kept Northampton's stakeholders actively engaged, on-task, and aligned toward a shared vision of Northampton.”

-Alan Wolf, Mayor’s Chief of Staff, City of Northampton

Our Team

  • Michelle Moon

    PRINCIPAL + FOUNDER

    Michelle Moon is an urban planner and designer who focuses on increasing and improving public spaces in Massachusetts through community- and stakeholder-driven processes. Her work includes organizing design charrettes and visioning sessions, leading steering committees, hosting resident engagement events, conducting interviews, administering surveys, and researching placemaking best practices. Over the past 10 years Michelle has collaborated with 65 local government departments and committees, Boston-area and national non-profits, community groups, parks and greenway organizations, design firms, and state agencies. Michelle holds a MA in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning from Tufts University and a BA in Environmental Studies from Mount Holyoke College.

    Fun Facts: Michelle grew up in Minnesota. She also lived in Russia, Paraguay, Brazil, and England. When she isn’t working you can find her biking and hiking.

  • Claudia LaFontaine

    ASSOCIATE PLANNER + DESIGNER

    Claudia LaFontaine is a designer and artist with interests in community development, LGBTQIA+ rights, mental health advocacy and environmental justice. Claudia’s planning work has helped to engage and educate members of communities about climate resilience. Recently, she completed two climate change public art installations, one of which won the “CMCC Climate Change Communication Award ‘Rebecca Ballestra.’' They also facilitated two workshops for a youth employment program and designed two pop-up spaces for Boston Public Libraries. She is skilled at bringing project visions to completion. Claudia holds a BS in Architecture with a minor in Art History from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

    Fun Facts: Claudia loves creating art in a variety of mediums, collecting rocks and shells, and plants! She has succulents that are over 5 years old.

Collaborators

  • Carolina Aragón

    Artist, Educator

    View Work

  • Lily Linke

    Planner, Educator

  • Claudia Paraschiv

    Architecture, Community Art, Participatory Design

    View Work

  • Krina Patel

    Artist

  • Roy Rudder

    Industrial Designer, Artist

    View Work

Clients

  • Bike to the Sea 

  • City of Boston’s Office of New Urban Mechanics

  • City of Somerville, Massachusetts

  • Downtown Worcester Business Improvement District

  • Fairmount Greenway Task Force

  • Four Corners Main Streets

  • Friends of the Garden at Magnolia / Dudley Neighbors Inc

  • Friends of the Mary Ellen Welch Greenway

  • Harvard Chan School of Public Health

  • Massachusetts Department of Conservation + Recreation

  • Massachusetts Department of Housing + Community Development

  • Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy

  • The Trust for Public Land

  • Town of Belchertown, Massachusetts

  • Town of Dover, Massachusetts

  • Town of Melrose, Massachusetts

  • Town of Monson, Massachusetts

  • Town of Watertown, Massachusetts

  • Viva Fall River / MassDevelopment Transformative Development Initiative [TDI]