On August 16th, the Indianapolis Star (IndyStar) announced architect Lourenzo Giple as the city's new Deputy Director of Planning, Preservation, and Design. The newly appointed deputy is determined to making changes the city has been missing for years. Giple shared with Brandon Drenon of IndyStar, "Historically, zoning and planning have not been equitable. I want to do my best to shift some of those inequities."

Giple grew up in Liberia, where his family eventually fled the country because of a civil war. When his family immigrated from Liberia to Indianapolis, he discusses how his experience and upbringing in the city's lower-economic neighborhoods provided him a perspective for how architecture and urban planning could elevate the city into an equitable place. 

This new role within the Department of Metropolitan Development will cover long-term projects for city development, strategies for new architectural design, and transit-oriented development. He will also overlook the day-to-day planning of historic preservation and urban design for the city. Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett shared in a statement to IndyStar, "Lourenzo analyzes the built environment with a socio-economic lens that aligns with our administration's vision for the city."

When reflecting on his new position as the city's first Black Deputy Director in the department, Giple shared with IndyStar, "it's a little bit surreal." But, he continued, "there's not a lot of people who look like us within the profession. Moving forward, what that means to me, is that the city is able to be accurately planned and envisioned from the perspective of everyone."

News coverage from the Indianapolis Recorder back in February 2021 shared Giple's responses on the city's housing crisis along with other panelists in a virtual discussion series that took place on February 2nd. The panel was asked, "Does Indianapolis have a housing crisis, and why?" For Giple, he explained that the city is undergoing "reverse flight." He explains that this is the opposite of white flight that took place during the 1950s and '60s. "White people want back in, and that creates an unbalance, especially in neighborhoods that have been dealing with disinvestment for decades," explains Giple. 

Before his new appointment as Deputy Director, Giple has worked for Indianapolis architecture firms such as Rottmann Collier Architects and currently works as a Project Director for Blackline Studio. With his extensive experience and background in community development, housing, and urban design, Giple shared with IndyStar that he recognizes the need for "economic investment in minority communities while preserving the integrity of the neighborhood." 

Giple is an alumnus of Ball State University, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Architecture, a Master's Degree in Urban Design, and a Master's Degree in Architecture. He is also an Adjust Professor of Urban Design at Ball State.