Hi,
I’m Peter, an urban planner + landscape designer focused on creating ecologically self-sufficient and socially just communities. I seek alternatives to conventional notions of progress and development, exploring diverse models of de-growth (re-Growth) and carbon drawdown in the century of rapid urbanization and climate change.
My work centers on building low-carbon, inclusive cities that can adapt to climate challenges while addressing deep social and spatial inequalities.
I am inspired to contribute to urban transformation through research and practice in interdisciplinary and community-driven design, balancing innovative technology and representation with community engagement and participatory planning.
My experience includes public, nonprofit, and private sector work across cities like Memphis, Detroit, Pittsburgh, NYC, and Ithaca, NY.
statement of purpose:
My professional and research interests focus on the intersection of regional planning, multi-scalar infrastructure, and urban ecological design to create low-carbon, inclusive cities with an increased resilience to climate threats. I view built and natural environments as enmeshed and believe integrating regenerative practices—i.e. smart urban agriculture, material ecologies, biophilic design, etc. - will foster healthier, more productive, and happier urban places.
Post-industrial cities, grappling with climate challenges and the legacy of 20th-century planning, offer opportunities to reconnect fragmented socioeconomic and ecological networks. Meanwhile, rapidly urbanizing cities face unique pressures, including resource scarcity, requiring “leapfrog” solutions that bypass traditional carbon-intensive infrastructure. I am especially interested in planning for ecological urbanism that not only addresses climate but also deepens social equity and integrates marginalized communities.
I am also drawn to how governance must evolve to address converging crises in climate, capital, and community. Regional planning and governance will be vital in managing urban expansion and fostering cohesion across “bureaucratic silos,” harnessing big data and smart city technologies to enhance urban service efficiency, efficacy, and equity. Yet, I hope for a “smart-enough” approach that balances computational innovation and analysis with human-scale needs. Our responses to the anthropogenic 6th Extinction demands bold, radical, and speculative designs coupled with effective public-sector action. This work requires clear communication, collaboration, and implementation across urban scales.
A cool legacy of city planning and scholarship exists within my family. My grandfather taught city planning at Cornell. His grandfather, Daniel Burnham, was a Chicago based architect and city planner whose work includes the 1909 Plan of Chicago. My father is an emeritus professor of environmental engineering and my brother continues this tradition as a professor in Denmark.
I look forward to expanding my contributions to the fields of urbanism, ecology, and design through the intersection of 1. professional practice within interdisciplinary design and planning, 2. research and writing, and 3. Multimedia design as it relates to imagining and creating regenerative models of urban living. Models that involve a holistic approach to human and non-human well-being and a commitment to honor the integrity of all people along our short ride within this vastly entangled globe. Thanks for your time, Peter.