Joshua Croke (they/them) is a visionary multi-disciplinary designer, artist, and urbanist committed to building thriving, equitable, and sustainable communities. 

Joshua excels in facilitating community engagement, co-creating innovation strategies that advance community priorities, developing intersectional partnerships, and implementing creative placemaking projects with a focus on advancing equitable development in neighborhoods, cities, and beyond. As an independent consultant, they specialize in strategic planning, equity-centered design, and coalition building, enabling multi-stakeholder partnerships to drive transformative change and cultivate more thriving communities. 

With a personal mission to make queer a joyful norm, Joshua is the co-founder and president of Love Your Labels, a nonprofit supporting LGBTQ+ youth through art, fashion, and design, and is developing Queer For Cities, a project dedicated to amplifying stories around queer urbanism and building collective power networks. Under the Queer For Cities umbrella, Joshua is the creator and host of the Queer For Cities Podcast and Public Hearing, a podcast and radio show on WICN 90.5 FM about their home city of Worcester, Massachusetts.

With expertise in urban planning, creative economy strategy, innovation consulting, CSR, and equity-centered community and economic development, Joshua has been recognized with accolades such as Worcester Business Journal’s Central Mass Power 50 and BEQ Pride Magazine’s LGBT Leaders Under 40. They also serve on the board of the Worcester Education Collaborative, the corporators board at the Worcester Art Museum and the Greater Worcester Community Foundation, and sit on the Community Advisory Board for UMass Chan’s Collaborative in Health Equity, demonstrating their leadership and commitment across intersectional areas of community, health, education, and advocacy. 

Whether speaking at conferences or collaborating on community projects, Joshua is dedicated to creating equity-centered, joyful environments where everyone can thrive. Connect with Joshua at josh@queerforcities.com or visitJoshuaCroke.com to learn more about their transformative work.