SquareSide is a unique consulting firm that provides a range of legal, city planning, and nonprofit management services, with an emphasis on collaboration and equity. 

A Washington, D.C., native and longtime resident of the Philadelphia area, David Gest, Esq. is a nonprofit executive and land use attorney with a background in architecture, real estate, city planning, zoning, historic preservation, community engagement, and affordable housing.

Over nearly 20 years, he has worked in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, most recently serving as Chief Operating Officer of Mural Arts Philadelphia, the nation’s largest public art program, where he supervised a staff of over 100 FTE employees and the human resources, finance, operations, project management, and various programmatic departments for the $15+ million organization.  Previously, as Partner in the Real Estate Department of national law firm Ballard Spahr LLP, David focused on land use, zoning, and real estate law, managing teams of experts in community and governmental engagement to help clients navigate the land use approval process for complex real estate development projects. He holds a J.D. from Columbia University, a Master’s of City Planning from the University of Pennsylvania, and a B.A. in Architecture / Urban Studies from Yale University.

David founded SquareSide in 2024 to apply his wide range of legal, city planning, and nonprofit management experience to helping clients in the Philadelphia area and beyond. His work emphasizes principles of collaboration and diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. 

To learn more about David’s experience, visit LinkedIn.

To learn more about SquareSide’s services, visit our Services page.

To contact David, email david@squareside.us or set up a meeting on Calendly.