Roberto Requejo is an urban planner and civic leader driving equitable development at the intersection of transit, climate resilience, and community wealth building. As Senior Advisor at BARHII, he leads a nationwide community of practice addressing displacement triggered by gentrification, disinvestment and climate change. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Center for Community Investment, managing an initiative to accelerate equitable solutions to climate change in several American cities through funding, technical assistance and knowledge sharing. Additionally, he is one of the seven members of the Chicago Transit Board, overseeing a $6B transit agency that serves 3.2 million residents.
Prior to these roles, as executive director of the Elevated Chicago coalition, Roberto raised $15M+ to support equitable transit-oriented development (ETOD) led by neighborhood residents across the city. Working closely with the Mayor’s Office, he co-created Chicago’s first ETOD policy plan, spearheaded one of the nation’s most comprehensive zoning reforms, and attracted federal funding and private capital. As a result, Chicago’s ETOD pipeline grew from three sites in 2017 to nearly sixty in 2024, representing $1B+ in investments.
At the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Roberto developed the institution’s inaugural DEI strategic plan and led the Financial Services Pipeline Initiative to increase diversity in the banking sector. His prior professional trajectory includes roles at The Chicago Community Trust — where he managed a $10M program addressing the region’s foreclosure crisis–, the Metropolitan Planning Council, and Citi Community Capital.
A trusted advisor to organizations including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, and the United Nations Development Program, Roberto brings global perspective to local challenges. He holds both a Fulcrum Fellowship and a Field Catalyst Fellowship from the Center for Community Investment. His work was recognized by Chicago Magazine, which named him to their “New Power 30” list of system-changing leaders in 2021.
Originally from Galicia, Spain, Roberto made Chicago his home in 2001. He holds a graduate degree in advanced political studies from the Universidade de Santiago de Compostela and a master’s in urban planning and policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He resides in the River West neighborhood with his partner Jomar.
