Urban Planning + DESIGN 

Urban planning and design consultants help cities, towns, and communities grow and improve in a thoughtful, organized, and visually appealing way. This involves working with governments, developers, and organizations to shape how neighborhoods, downtowns, and public spaces are planned and designed. 

Urban planning consulting focuses on the big picture—how land is used, how people move around, where homes and businesses are built, and how infrastructure and services are provided. It involves:

• Analyzing data about population, transportation, housing, and the environment.

• Engaging with residents and stakeholders to gather input and feedback.

• Creating long-term plans and policies for community growth and development.

• Recommending zoning rules and land use policies.

• Helping cities and towns balance growth with sustainability, affordability, and quality of life.

Urban design consulting zooms in on the details of how districts, spaces, and streets look and feel. It includes:

• Developing concepts and detailed plans for various neighborhoods, streets, plazas, and parks.

• Focusing on the physical appearance, layout, and accessibility of public spaces.

• Integrating natural elements, public art, street furniture, and other features.

In short: planners set the vision, rules, and policies for how areas should develop, and designers turn those visions into real, tangible places people can enjoy. 

There is significant overlap between the professions, with practitioners coming not only from formal planning and design backgrounds, but also from architecture, landscape architecture, engineering, economics, and related fields.

Some examples of project work are listed below; click on each link for more information.