Although The Walker Collaborative focuses primarily on enhancing existing places, TWC also has experience with the creation of new town centers.
Combining his extensive experience in the revitalization of existing downtowns and commercial districts with his experience planning New Urbanist “greenfield” mixed use centers and traditional neighborhood developments (TNDs) while working for Looney Ricks Kiss Architects (LRK), Phil Walker has strong credentials in the creation of new town centers.
Such plans rely heavily upon existing site conditions, as well as the optimal development program determined by a real estate market analysis.
New Town Centers Project Portfolio
Tyrone, Georgia
TYRONE TOWN CENTER PLAN
Tyrone is a community of approximately 7,500 residents located 25 miles southwest of Downtown Atlanta and part of the Atlanta Metropolitan Statistical Area. Named after County Tyrone in Ireland, the community lacked a conventional historic downtown, but the community has desired a walkable mixed-use town center for many years.
Sumner County, Tennessee
NEW SHACKLE ISLAND VILLAGE CONCEPT PLAN
Sumner County is a rural county northeast of Nashville. Because the Long Hollow Pike area was threatened by sprawling suburban housing and a strip commercial development, The Walker Collaborative (TWC) was hired by the County to lead the creation of a plan for the 23,640-acre study area. The project included an economic assessment and a multi-day planning charrette.
Clemmons, North Carolina
Clemmons Village Center
Straddling I-40, much of Clemmons’ development has occurred within the past few decades. However, residents felt that their community lacked a “sense of place” because of the domination of generic suburban development. The Village hired Clarion Associates to lead the creation of a new comprehensive plan, and TWC – working with Common Ground Urban Design + Planning – was a subconsultant to Clarion. TWC’s key role was to lead a public charrette to create a series of concept plans, including the proposed Village Center at the site of a largely vacant strip center.
Lookout Mountain, Georgia
LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN TOWN CENTER PLAN and DESIGN GUIDELINES
When the grocery store anchoring Lookout Mountain’s commercial center burned down, it prompted the community to rethink the unattractive strip center that constituted the closest thing they had to a town center. Electing instead to pursue a true “heart and soul” for their community, the City hired The Walker Collaborative (TWC) to lead a planning process that viewed the site as a blank canvas.
High Point, North Carolina
Mercado District
Located within the 1.5 million-person Piedmont Triad metro area with Greensboro and Winston Salem, High Point is best known as the “Furniture Capital of the World.” The Walker Collaborative was hired by the City of High Point to lead a comprehensive planning process for the most urban third of the city, including the downtown and surrounding urban centers and neighborhoods.
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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
