About - Resilience Planning & Design

About US

In a world that is constantly changing, we believe in the need for flexible, adaptive, and responsive planning and design. Our approach emphasizes dynamic visioning, community and stakeholder engagement, extensive analysis, and creative problem-solving.

Flexible

We look at our work through a “whole systems lens” that focuses on creating multi-functional planning and design solutions that provide a range of benefits for clients from protecting and increasing green infrastructure networks – to creating a high-quality built environment – to increasing social capital. We work to promote regenerative development, sustainable land use patterns, and community and land stewardship through site design, comprehensive planning, and regulatory initiatives.

Adaptive

We build collaborative teams with diverse professionals including architects, landscape architects, GIS technicians, and others to ensure all the needs of a project are met. In every project, we seek to address the specific needs and qualities of that particular community, group, or individual, understanding the nuanced differences that exist between places and people. We see significant value in assisting communities in the protection and leverage of their unique assets and resources and equipping them with appropriate strategies for future planning.

Responsive

The work we do is for a variety of clients, from town and cities to non-profit organizations, to businesses, to individual property owners. Though we’re always accessible by technology and utilize digital tools frequently in our work, we value regular, in-person interactions as a way to build strong relationships.

Our Team

Dr. Steven Whitman, AICP

Dr. Whitman is a professional planner and educator who has been working in the public, nonprofit, and private sectors in New England for over twenty years. Since 2003 he has successfully partnered with others to create dynamic consulting teams tailored to the client’s specific project needs. Steve is also a certified permaculture designer and teacher, and works on ecological design projects and courses here in the US and internationally.

Steve established Resilience Planning & Design to assist communities and organizations with planning initiatives and implementation actions that reinforce their vision for the future. His work includes site-scale planning and design efforts, comprehensive planning projects in small towns and large cities, regional and watershed scale planning, and research-driven planning and education initiatives. Steve is a part-time faculty member at Plymouth State University, an alternate on the Plymouth, NH Planning Board, and sits on two non-profit Boards.

“Shifting the World from Grey to Green” by Steve Whitman

Liz Kelly

Liz is a professional planner and ecological designer based in New Hampshire. Liz holds an M.S. in Ecological Design and Planning and has completed a variety of comprehensive planning and design projects for municipalities and organizations focused on natural resource protection, urban design, transportation, food systems, and sustainability throughout her career. She has experience in community and regional planning, is a certified permaculture teacher, and is an adjunct faculty member at Plymouth State University.

Liz brings an artistic eye to the planning process which is reflected in her graphic design skills and balances creative thinking and rigorous analysis in her work. She is interested in helping communities and other groups create vibrant and useful public spaces, promote participatory planning processes, and maximize opportunities to integrate the built environment with natural systems. She also serves as board president of the Permaculture Association of the Northeast.

Zak Brohinsky

Zak is a skilled GIS technician with a background in site analysis for forestry, trails, conservation, and natural hazards planning. Zak’s experience includes GIS analysis, data management, field data collection, understanding complex environmental and social interactions, and the ability to convey information effectively to a broad audience. With his foundation in applied land conservation, Zak has worked with federal and state agencies, private entities, and non-profit organizations on spatial analysis projects. His project experience includes providing support to regional and local land trusts and providing natural disaster risk assessments for local, state, and international clients.

Zak is also an educator and currently provides GIS instruction at the university level. Zak has served on the advisory committee for Local Foods Plymouth until 2017 and is the current Board President of the Plymouth Area Renewable Energy Initiative.