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Urban Planning

Planning & Urban Design

Planning and designing places that matter.

At SEH, our community planners, landscape architects and urban designers believe in the power of great places.

We take our craft beyond aesthetics by integrating art and science to improve the socioeconomic, environmental and physical character of your communities. Our work is built on the sustainable principles of smart growth and ecological urbanism.

We combine tried-and-true strategies with innovative approaches to help link each community’s new developments with the best characteristics of its built heritage. Highly collaborative, we believe in a participatory process where consultants team with clients and community members. Our goal: create places of lasting beauty and value that transform the landscape and benefit your communities and the people within them.

We assist communities of all sizes looking to overcome today’s challenges and plan for the future. Our approach is holistic. We incorporate dynamic local, regional and national contexts while looking for ways to improve intergovernmental cooperation among neighboring communities.

Related Services

  • Comprehensive planning
  • Community engagement
  • Corridor planning and design
  • Downtown planning and design
  • Funding services
  • Economic feasibility analysis
  • Envision
  • Financing (TIF, TID)
  • Focus area planning
  • Landscape architecture
  • Land use planning
  • Streetscape design
  • Waterfront planning and design
  • Form-based zoning
  • Urban design
  • Zoning services

Future Project Need? Contact Us!

To speak with a member of our team or learn more about our services, please fill out the contact form.

 

Urban Planning

Insight

March 22, 20246 min read

Sustainable Urban Streets: 7 Tips for Successful Green Design

Explore sustainable urban development through the lens of Grand Rapids' Vital Streets program, where collaboration, plant selection, and community engagement pave the way for eco-friendly spaces.
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March 5, 20243 min read

ERTIDs: A Game-Changer for Wisconsin’s Contaminated Buildings & Sites

ACT 149 expands Wisconsin's TIF program, enabling local governments to create ERTIDs for cleaning up hazardous sites, fostering economic development.
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October 20, 20238 min read

The Power of Trees in Shaping Sustainable Urban Places

In the bustling urban landscape, the significance of trees often goes unnoticed – overshadowed by busy streets, towering structures, and complex infrastructure. However, trees play a vital role in shaping the well-being and sustainability of communities.
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September 20, 20234 min read

Turning Blight into Opportunity: Brownfield Experts Q&A

SEH gathered four Brownfield Experts to shed light on the significance of brownfield sites, their impacts, and how to turn blight into opportunity.
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March 16, 20231 min read

Hidden Potential in Brownfields [eBook]

Explore the immense potential and long-standing benefits of redeveloping and revitalizing brownfields through this concise and easy-to-understand guide.
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March 7, 20237 min read

5 Ways to Engage Stakeholders and Get Your Community Behind a Project

To engage stakeholders and build community support, it is crucial to clearly communicate the vision for the project and earn community trust through the planning process. By reaching out to key stakeholders early and often, you increase your chances of securing their support as the project progresses.
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August 4, 20227 min read

How to Reconstruct a Downtown Business District without Shutting Down Access

Here's how Minneapolis reconstructed an urban thoroughfare with hundreds of businesses, 130,000 pedestrians and 120,000 cars.
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June 29, 20228 min read

Igniting Economic Development through Green Alleys and Alleyway Renovation

Space in downtown areas has become sparse and is now at a premium.
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June 29, 20226 min read

How to Develop a Strategic Economic Development Plan

Your first step toward economic development and a quality of place? A strategic economic development plan.
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