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.
“I enjoyed your session. Your presentation was streamlined so it was easy to follow and grasp concepts,
entertaining with your natural injection of humor, and you had excellent presence.
You really connected with your audience.”
“The reason the City continuously hires The Walker Collaborative, even over the course of multiple political administrations, is because they do a good job. Phil is good at listening to his clients and the public in general, and he takes the time to understand the various existing conditions in a thorough manner. His solutions for our community always seem to be the most technically sound and pragmatic path to take, so we value his recommendations.”
“Phil’s charrette process exceeded our expectations… Phil and his team demonstrated an outstanding ability to work with anxious developers, interested property owners, and concerned neighbors. The caliber of Walker’s work was proven when the resulting Downtown and Riverfront Master Plan was awarded the 2009 Outstanding Planning Award from the Alabama Chapter of the American Planning Association.”
“I can tell you project managers make all the difference in the overall success of major planning initiatives. Phil Walker provided leadership at every step of the project. He took the lead role in all public meetings, served as the key point of contact with the City, and oversaw all aspects of the planning process. He exhibited a high level of expertise, professionalism, and responsiveness.”
“Mr. Walker assembled a talented team…that have dramatically changed the neighborhood for the better.
The plan has since been used as a model strategy for the revitalization
of other similar neighborhoods in Tupelo.”
“The Walker Collaborative did a tremendous job of helping to forge the initial vision for our heritage area. The economic study prepared by Phil Walker and persuasively presented by him in five communities throughout the region was instrumental in confirming the potential of our proposed heritage area and solidifying widespread political and public support.”
“Downtown Planning for Smaller and Midsize Communities is excellent for anyone working in revitalization. The book covers all of the aspects that help create a healthy downtown and a successful revitalization strategy. It’s the big picture of what makes a downtown function and the importance of having a plan. It reminded me what initially interested me about the field.”
“… the City hired The Walker Collaborative (TWC) to craft a detailed revitalization strategy in 2013… Issues addressed included uses and development along the Coosa River … Although budgets are tight, we have used the plan to make steady progress in revitalizing the district… The City of Wetumpka was quite pleased with the services and end product provided by The Walker Collaborative.”
“Phil is a pleasure to work with and for. He is committed to giving his clients
everything they seek while providing high-quality professional recommendations and plans.
He is always seeking the best in colleagues and consultants, as well.”
“You and your team did a fantastic job with this comprehensive plan.
It clearly reflects a high level of care on your part.
We feel like the City of Midway really got its money’s worth.”
