The knowledge that helped reshape how Memphis grows is now in demand across the country, and the planner behind it is proudly keeping his roots right here. John Zeanah, who spent more than a decade guiding development for Memphis and Shelby County, is going all in on Interval, the planning and policy consulting agency he founded in 2023.
Zeanah is no stranger to big Memphis wins. He served nearly eight years as director of the Division of Planning and Development before Mayor Paul Young tapped him as chief of development and infrastructure, and he played a major role in Memphis 3.0, the city’s award-winning comprehensive plan that earned the American Planning Association’s 2020 Daniel Burnham Award. He also helped move the city’s permitting online through the Develop 901 website and recently published a book on adaptive comprehensive planning.
That track record is opening doors. As reported by the Memphis Business Journal, Interval already has projects underway in North Carolina and Colorado, with plans to grow across the Southeast and beyond.
For anyone wondering whether success means leaving, Zeanah answered directly: “Memphis is my home. I want to build Interval in Memphis to provide services to help support my hometown.”
