The Walker Collaborative’s Phil Walker has led and participated in a wide range of neighborhood planning projects for both new and existing neighborhoods.
His work with new neighborhoods has included Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND) projects in Indiana, Florida, Mississippi, Texas and Tennessee, including project management for Nashville’s first TND – Lenox Village.
Examples of neighborhoods where he has led revitalization plans and/or design guidelines include the College Hill Neighborhood in St. Louis (MO), Lower St. Charles Neighborhood in New Orleans (LA), the Green Street Neighborhood in Tupelo (MS), the Central High Neighborhood in Little Rock (AR), and the Uptown Memphis (TN) area.
In 1998, Phil Walker performed consumer preference research for Park DuValle, an award-winning HOPE VI project in Louisville, Kentucky.
Neighborhoods Project Portfolio
Covington, Louisiana
WEST 30s NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION PLAN
Covington is outside of New Orleans on the north side of Lake Pontchartrain. The 70-block “West 30s” Neighborhood has a high level of poverty, deteriorated housing, and crime. The Walker Collaborative (TWC) was hired by the Northshore Community Foundation (NCF) to lead a team to develop a plan to revitalize the area. Steps included community organizing, leadership training, resident surveys, a charrette, and a market assessment.
Wilson, North Carolina
WILSON NEIGHBORHOOD CONCEPT PLANS
Wilson is a city of 50,000 people located in the eastern part of North Carolina off of I-95. Tthe community continues to experience steady growth. The City hired Clarion Associates to lead the creation of a new citywide comprehensive plan, and TWC – working with Common Ground Urban Design + Planning – served as a subconsultant to Clarion. TWC’s key role was to lead two public charrettes to create concept plans for various focus areas in Wilson, including two neighborhoods – the Five Points Neighborhood and the Old Wilson Mile Neighborhood.
High Point, North Carolina
WASHINGTON DRIVE NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN
The Washington Drive Neighborhood was selected as the initial project to implement TWC’s award-winning Core City Plan. The area once served as the cultural and economic hub of High Point’s African-American, and jazz great John Coltrane grew up in the neighborhood. The City again hired TWC to lead a team to create a detailed plan. With the intent of creating an entertainment district within the neighborhood’s commercial corridor.
St. Louis, Missouri
COLLEGE HILL NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN
The College Hill Neighborhood is on the north side of St. Louis and was developed between the 1870s and early-twentieth century. Much of its beautiful historic architecture is deteriorated, one third of all lots are vacant, and poverty and crime are high. TWC was hired by the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod to lead a team to create a plan for the area. A key project component was a three-day charrette involving residents and other stakeholders in a hands-on manner to help determine their destiny.
Rocky Mount, North Carolina
DOUGLAS BLOCK NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN
The Douglas Block Neighborhood was historically the business, social and cultural hub of Rocky Mount’s African-American community, but by the 1970s it was in severe decline. The Walker Collaborative (TWC) was hired to prepare a plan, including an economic/market analysis, alternative development scenarios, a transit plan, a historic interpretation strategy, and a strong public input process. Recommendations included building rehabs, mixed-use infill, a community/interpretive center, a plaza and amphitheater, and more.
Additional Projects
Phil Walker has played a key role in the following projects through The Walker Collaboration (since 2002) and previous firms.
“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.”
“From all accounts, The Walker Collaborative knows what it’s doing when the aim is downtown revitalization… What we like most about this process is the strong desire this organization has to get public input…
The Walker Collaborative seemed to truly care about getting local buy-in.”
“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.”
“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.”
“Working with TWC on the Washington Drive District Plan was enjoyable and rewarding. Phil’s team was very qualified and easy to work with. The high-quality renderings made the plan catch people’s attention. The vision and strategies detailed in the written text inspired those who will implement it. Phil is very attentive, quick to respond, always willing to listen, and incorporate your ideas.”
“Philip and his team are sincerely nice people with no pretense –
a delight to be around and interact with.
I am looking forward to helping implement all the great ideas and images they created for our City.”
“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 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.”
“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.”
“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.”
