The Walker Collaborative’s Phil Walker has over 35 years of experience drafting and implementing all types of land use and design policy, including zoning, development standards and design guidelines.
In addition to writing such policies for dozens of communities across the country as a consultant, he has implemented land use and design policies by performing plan review for communities as diverse as Pensacola (FL), Natchez (MS), Nolensville (TN), and numerous boroughs and townships throughout New Jersey. Specific services provided by The Walker Collaborative include:
• Zoning Ordinances Development
• Design Standards and Form-Based Codes
• Historic Preservation Ordinances and Design Guidelines
Zoning & Design Guideline Project Portfolio
Cullman, Alabama
DOWNTOWN CULLMAN DESIGN GUIDELINES
Cullman was hit by a tornado that destroyed part of its historic downtown. With many property owners needing to quickly repair and rebuild, the City’s lack of historic zoning and design guidelines amplified the downtown’s vulnerabilities. Not wanting to hold up the recovery process, the City quickly hired TWC, which led an intensive three-day charrette to create design guidelines. Support was provided by Common Ground Urban Design + Planning and local architects.
Sumner County, Tennessee
SUMNER COUNTY ZONING and DEVELOPMENT CODE
Sumner County is a largely rural, but rapidly suburbanizing, county located northeast of Nashville. Hemmed in by a half dozen communities on its periphery, the county has several roads having the potential to gradually transition into strip commercial corridors. To help the county deal with these serious challenges, TWC was first hired to lead a multi-disciplinary team.
Fayetteville, North Carolina
FAYETTEVILLE DESIGN STANDARDS
Founded in 1760 near the Cape Fear River in the southeast part of the state, Fayetteville is perhaps best known as the home to the Fort Bragg military base. Less known to those who have not visited the community are its beautiful historic districts that reflect a broad range of eras and architectural styles. Their existing standards prior to this project were prepared in 2000, but in much need of rewriting.
Frederick, Maryland
EAST STREET CORRIDOR FBC PROJECT
Established in 1745, Frederick has a population of approximately 72,000 people. Because of the extraordinary historic integrity and character of the community, it had one of the country’s first locally-designated historic districts. The East Street corridor is located just east of the core of Downtown Frederick, but it features a wide range of conditions. The City decided to pursue the creation of their first Form-Based Code (FBC) to guide future redevelopment and hired TWC to prepare a study for the area before embarking on the project.
Northport, Alabama
NORTHPORT CORE CITY ZONING and DESIGN STANDARDS
The Walker Collaborative’s Phil Walker has been working with the City of Northport on planning issues since 1999. TWC led the creation of a master plan and new zoning and design standards for the entire area. The zoning and standards completely replaced the existing policies with the creation of twelve distinct districts, each with different permitted land uses and design standards. Similarly, there were several street types mapped for the area that correlate with street cross-sections, as well as two alley types. The plan and codes were adopted by the City Council shortly after their completion and have since been used to guide development in the area.
Additional Projects
Phil Walker has played a key role in the following projects through The Walker Collaboration (since 2002) and previous firms.
“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.”
“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 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 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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“… 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’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.”
“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.”
