
Principal
Tim Duggan
As a highly respected, innovative landscape architect and pioneer of urban acupuncture, Tim Duggan knows the value of being able to educate people about our evolving cities and rapidly changing society. Tim is able to connect with diverse audiences by plainly translating complex ideas into straightforward language, making him a valued speaker at national conferences. Tim excels at articulating complex systems in a simplistic manner, which is why he’s been a versatile speaker at events like TEDxHarlem, the 2019 Landscape Architecture Conference, P4 Conference 2015, Dwell on Design 2014, the National Black Caucus 2010, and Reinvention New Orleans 2010.
Tim’s work on diverse projects in communities across the country has earned him critical acclaim – he’s worked on over 200 LEED Platinum certified projects during his previous role as Director of Innovations for the Make it Right Foundation, where his design leadership led to a transformative revamping of the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. His professional background is full of cutting-edge projects like Kansas City’s Bancroft School, the Fort Peck Indian Reservation Sustainable Village, as well as Pittsburgh’s McKinley Park and 4-Mile Run, a macro-level design project for the region’s citywide green infrastructure plan. His concept plan for the Marlborough Neighborhood in Kansas City became the bedrock for The Liveable Streets Corridor, which connected regional park systems into one. In 2010, his Adaptive Management Plan 1.0 became the first submitted federally-recognized consent decree in the US. Since then, hundreds of American cities have copied and implemented this approach. Tim’s multifaceted, radically imaginative portfolio is built on an innovative way of conceptualizing design and urban planning – a different, fresh way of thinking about building the cities and landscapes of our future. This inventive style of thinking about projects is “urban acupuncture” – which is a type of precision development focusing on utilitarian purpose and informed design that honors a commitment to uphold the “spirit of the place” or “genus loci” of each community a project is in. Tim has spent years perfecting the thought process behind this urban acupuncture and works to make it the gold standard of future development.
His projects cover everything from creating playgrounds to revamping complex city infrastructure systems. His firm Phronesis is a versatile, contemporary company that has a reputation for creating fantastic and sustainable visions for evolving cities, and he’s not afraid to elbow-in with decision makers to bring his ideas to fruition, while working extensively to create dialogue and collaboration with local community organizations and neighborhood residents.
Tim brings his expertise in nuanced urban planning to his events, and he’s experienced in speaking to a wide variety of audiences from many different walks of life, from industry professionals to politicians. He utilizes his background in community engagement and community dialogue to engage with people who aren’t familiar with the finer details of urban planning, which allows him to not only reach neighborhood members themselves, but forge bonds with decision-makers in many different settings.
Many of his projects directly tie into topics of not only urban planning, but food insecurity, environmental racism, climate change mitigation/preparation, and accessibility. His work showcases how interconnected urban planning is with some of the most pressing social issues we face today. Tim is dedicated to building a smarter, brighter, more equitable future for us all – from the ground up.
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