The Walker Collaborative’s Phil Walker has over 35 years of experience preparing,and implementing planning strategies for downtowns across the country.
In addition to creating numerous master plans as a consultant, he has spearheaded revitalization efforts as the downtown organization director in Pensacola, Florida, as the City Planning Director in Natchez, Mississippi, and as a Board of Directors member of a local Main Street program. He served from 2011-2013 as the part-time Interim Director of the Two Rivers Company – the downtown and riverfront revitalization agency for Clarksville, Tennessee.
Similarly, he served as the part-time Interim Director of the newly-established Downtown Natchez Alliance (2019-2022) after leading the preparation of their downtown master plan a year earlier. Phil Walker has also consulted to the National Main Street Center and has been a speaker on the subject at several universities and downtown revitalization conferences. His book entitled Downtown Planning for Smaller and Mid-sized Communities was published in 2009 by the American Planning Association’s Planners Press.
Downtowns & Commerical Districts Project Portfolio
Fayetteville, Tennessee
Downtown Fayetteville Master Plan
The seat of Lincoln County, Fayetteville is a community of 7,000 people located in South Central Tennessee and home to the famous “Lincoln County Process” of whiskey distilling, as utilized by Jack Daniels at nearby Lynchburg. The Walker Collaborative led a team to prepare a plan for the historic downtown. The process included a market conditions assessment and strong public engagement, including a four-day charrette.
Russellville, Arkansas
Downtown Russellville Master Plan
Located 75 miles west of Little Rock, Russellville is a community of 28,000 people. TWC was hired by the City and Main Street Russellville to lead a team to prepare a plan to strengthen the downtown’s competitiveness. Strategies included a public events venue, a “road diet” for Main Street, improving intersections for pedestrian friendliness, a new downtown library, facade improvements, and on-street parking regulations.
Wilkesboro, North Carolina
Downtown Wilkesboro Master Plan
The Walker Collaborative was hired by the Town of Wilkesboro to create a physical improvement plan to help revitalize the historic downtown. Key recommendations included: traffic calming, streetscape redevelopment, additional parking, conversion of on-street parallel parking to angled parking in specific locations, enhancing the historic courthouse green, a new park and market, burying overhead utilities, and extending the existing greenway system.
High Point, North Carolina
High Point Core City Plan
Although High Point’s bi-annual “furniture markets” constitute the largest economic events in the state, they are both a blessing and a curse. Because furniture showrooms dominate the CBD’s ground floor uses, the downtown fails to function as a conventional downtown with a range of tenant types and activities. The Walker Collaborative (TWC) was hired by the City to lead the creation of a plan for the Core City.
Gallatin, Tennessee
Downtown Gallatin Master Plan
The City of Gallatin hired The Walker Collaborative to create a Downtown Master Plan. The project started with a public “kick-off” meeting, a market survey and a public charrette. Recommendations included: a new downtown library, a parking garage screened with a new City Hall annex, a public park, an enhanced public plaza, streetscape improvements, a greenway along Town Creek, a farmers market, mixed-use infill, a parking management program and more.
Additional Projects
Phil Walker has played a key role in the following projects through The Walker Collaboration (since 2002) and previous firms.