Phil Walker’s preservation expertise began with earning a bachelor’s degree in Historic Preservation in 1984, and preparing a historic preservation plan for St. Augustine, Florida, as part of his master’s thesis in 1986.
As the Downtown Manager for Pensacola, Florida, and the City Planning Director for Natchez, Mississippi, he performed design review and staffed historic preservation commissions on a daily basis.
As a consultant, Phil Walker has prepared numerous historic preservation plans and historic district plans for communities as diverse as: Natchitoches, Louisiana; Cumberland, Maryland; and Metuchen, New Jersey.
He has also prepared several battlefield protection plans, and has led the preparation of three Management Plans for National Heritage Areas and participated in a fourth such plan. Phil has served on the Board of Directors of Preservation Action, the Tennessee Preservation Trust, and the Tennessee Civil War Preservation Association.
Historic Preservation Project Portfolio
Conway, Arkansas
CONWAY HISTORIC PRESERVATION PLAN
Located 30 miles northwest of Little Rock, Conway is a community of 65,000 people with three colleges and a vibrant historic downtown. The City has a robust preservation program, but TWC was hired to prepare a plan to improve upon that existing program. Thomason & Associates served as subconsultants on the project. The public engagement process included an online public opinion survey, as well as multiple meetings and workshops.
Northwest Alabama
MUSCLE SHOALS NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA MANAGEMENT PLAN
The Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area encompasses six counties in the northwest corner of Alabama. In accordance with the federal legislation creating the MSNHA, the three key themes for interpretation include the Tennessee River, Native American Heritage, and Music. TWC was hired by the University of North Alabama, the Heritage Area’s local coordinating entity in partnership with the National Park Service, to lead a team of consultants in the creation of the federally-mandated Management Plan.
Northeast Mississippi
MISSISSIPPI HILLS NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA
The Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area encompasses 30 counties in Northeast Mississippi. Interpretive themes include Native American Heritage, Folk and Blues Music, Southern Literature, the Civil War, and African-American Heritage. The North Central Mississippi Resource Conservation & Development Council first hired TWC in 2004 to forge a common vision and strategy for development of the Heritage Area prior to its federal designation, which included several conferences, workshops and stakeholder meetings.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
PITTSBURGH HISTORIC PRESERVATION PLAN
Pittsburgh covers a 55 square mile area in the center of Allegheny County. Despite today’s population of 330,000 people being roughly half of what it was 50 years ago, the city still serves as the economic and cultural hub of Southwestern PA. Up until now, the City has never had a historic preservation plan. TWC was hired as a subconsultant to T&B Planning to prepare a city-wide historic preservation plan for the City’s Department of City Planning (DCP).
Fort Worth, Texas
FORT WORTH CITYWIDE HISTORIC PRESERVATION PLAN
For a large community that has experienced substantial growth over the past several decades, Fort Worth has retained an impressive stock of historic buildings. The city is a showcase for nineteenth and early-twentieth century Texas architecture. As a subconsultant to LRK Architects, The Walker Collaborative’s Phil Walker served as the Project Manager for this plan, and he coordinated the efforts of multiple local sub-consultants.
Additional Projects
Phil Walker has played a key role in the following projects through The Walker Collaboration (since 2002) and previous firms.