When I finished my time at the Providence Preservation Society, I had learned that the most impactful changes are very often driven by, or at least supported by, an involved public. At some point, any project or initiative will go before regulatory bodies; it saves time and money for all parties to involve stakeholders early, rather than fighting after the fact when misinformation and bad blood set a dysfunctional tone.
With that attitude in mind, I focus on public participation as part of all my projects. The Preservation Plan for Warren, Rhode Island was done with my historic preservation students from RWU and went on to win the American Planning Association Award for Student Work and became a foundation for the Town’s update of its Historical Resources component of its Comprehensive Plan.
I am very proud that I was a participant in the series of Downcity charettes that took place in the early 1990s for downtown Providence, RI. Through collaboration with many stakeholders, a shared vision grew for Downcity Providence as a center for educational institutions alongside a vibrant arts and residential district achieved primarily through the redevelopment of historic office buildings. That work introduced me to the philosophies of New Urbanism, which I have embraced and worked to meld with historic preservation techniques for the past 25 years.
Specific Community Planning Skills and Knowledge Areas
- Research of regulatory framework for planning and past planning efforts/documents
- Designing inclusive planning process with public engagement including participation methods, social media, strategies and tools, advocacy, outreach
- Deep functional knowledge of planning areas and disciplines including history of planning, foundational legal principles and decisions
- Principles of related professions (e.g., public health, architecture, law, engineering, real estate, environmental restoration)
- Practical application of core values of planning including equity and social justice, public interest, sustainability, healthy and prosperous communities, diversity, democratic engagement, transparency
- Communication with varied audiences deploying clear and understandable visual, written, and spoken concepts, building relationships, conducting meetings and media relations
- Sustainability planning (processes, practices and outcomes, including environmental planning, economic planning, and equity planning)
- Transportation planning including mobility and accessibility planning, land use and transportation demand, transportation modes, goods movement, intermodal, pedestrian, bicycle, transit, parking, and access equity
- Hazards, mitigation, and resiliency planning with a focus on flooding, disaster preparedness planning and brownfields
- Environmental and natural resources planning including climate change, environmental impact analysis, agriculture, forestry, habitat, shoreline planning and environmental justice
- Economic development planning including community revitalization, economic analysis and forecasting, incentives, financing mechanisms, tourism, workforce development, business development, resiliency and financing
- Urban design including place making, transit oriented development, walkability, mixed use, public realm, design guidelines, way-finding and infill development
- Housing planning including affordability, market analysis, policy, finance, fair housing, manufactured housing, micro-housing, universal design, co-housing, homelessness and accessory dwelling units
- Parks, recreation, and open space including design standards, greenways and trails, scenic resource, conservation/preservation, viewsheds, wildlife corridors, connectivity, conservation easements and transfer/purchase of development rights
- Historic and cultural resources planning including historic preservation, adaptive reuse, regulatory context, financing, cultural and heritage preservation, arts districts and heritage tourism
- Institutional planning and siting including master and facilities planning for K-12 schools, universities/colleges, military bases and religious facilities
- Health planning including active living, aging in place, environmental justice, health districts and service distribution, health impact assessment
- AICP Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct