After generations of neglect, the Cincinnati area’s Mill Creek is increasingly appreciated as one of the community’s most important natural and community assets, and community and environmental activists are working hard to create a new identity for the waterway that will balance environmental needs and community priorities. Charles Neer, one of America’s most highly respected parks and open space planners, will help local activists and political leaders envision new possible futures for this important urban waterway, using inspiring examples from highly successful restoration projects in Washington, D.C., Louisville, Des Moines, Philadelphia, and Queens, N.Y., and other cities.
Bio – Charles B. Neer
Charles is Senior Associate at WRT Design and leads the firm’s Parks and Open Space practice. Charles’ view of landscape as a productive agent in the shaping of cities, countryside, and culture is informed by 20+ years of experience with urban landscapes, park master planning and design. Charles has served as project manager for national park projects in Philadelphia, Louisville, Austin, and Roanoke – including the FDR Park Master Plan and The Parklands of Floyds Fork. He has worked on various waterfronts, campus master plans and urban designs throughout the country, including the Anacostia Waterfront Initiative in Washington D.C., the Principal Riverwalk in Des Moines, I.A., and Dutch Kills Green, in Queens, N.Y. Charles has taught studios at the University of Pennsylvania and Temple University, is past Board President of the Fairmount Community Development Corporation, and is a Board Member of The McHarg Center for Urbanism and Ecology at the University of Pennsylvania. Charles is a member of the Urban Land Institute, City Parks Alliance, World Urban Parks, and the American Society of Landscape Architects.
