CINDY HARPER, AICP
Planner, Designer, Artist
My planning work is about shaping the look, feel, and function of space and infrastructure. My art is about contemplating their beauty and impact.
EDUCATION
2003 | Master of Landscape Architecture · University of Colorado-Denver · Denver, CO
1999 | Bachelor of Arts in English · Carleton College · Northfield, MN
1998 | Research Studies in Natural and Human Environments · School for International Training · Hamilton, New Zealand
PROFESSION
2013-NOW | American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) Certification · American Planning Association (APA)
2023-NOW | Advisory & Consulting Planner, Owner · Urban Campuses and Infill Sites · Top Stair Studio · Seattle, WA & Twin Cities, MN
2021-2023 | Campus Planning Coordinator · Facility and Project Management · Seattle Pacific University · Seattle, WA
2020-2021 | Career Intermission · Studio Art Home Residency and Elementary Home-based Instruction · Seattle, WA
2014-2019 | Senior Campus Planner · Planning, Space, and Real Estate · University of Minnesota · Minneapolis, MN
2005-2014 | Urban Designer and Planner · Urban Design Studio · Cuningham Group Architecture · Minneapolis, MN
2004-2005 | Development Associate · National Voice Campaign for Civic Participation · Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy · Minneapolis, MN
2001-2003 | Intern Landscape Planner · Planning and Capital Projects · Denver Zoo · Denver, CO
1999-2000 | Design Consultant · Farris Corporation · The Closet Factory · Seattle, WA
STATEMENT
I am an urban planner and creator of small art works based in Seattle, Washington. With my husband and two kids, I live a life devoted to simplicity, curiosity, and creativity in the city. My art and planning work is an invitation for you to make new observations and form alternative perspectives about your own built environments, and maybe even find a way to appreciate the parts that you don’t like.
BIO
Cindy Harper is an urban planner, designer, and artist. For over 20 years, she has shaped the look, feel, and function of space and infrastructure while working in the fields of landscape architecture, urban design, and campus planning. She believes in her work can improve relationships between humans and their environments. Cindy’s art is thematically aligned with her professional focus on people and place. With her small works, she contemplates the intensity of our urban infrastructural and operational needs and demands, and the promise of alternative ways of living. Cindy has a Bachelor of Arts in English from Carleton College in Minnesota, a Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Colorado-Denver, and is a Certified Urban Planner (AICP) through the American Planning Association. During the height of COVID-19, she chose to homeschool her kids herself, using a mix of curriculum resources and an emphasis on stories, arts, and the outdoors. She also started consulting as a campus planner for small colleges and universities. She lives in Seattle with her husband and two kids, where she pursues a creative, compact life with less stuff and more fun.
RECENT SELECT CAMPUS PLANNING and DESIGN PROJECTS
Campus Development Plans and Design Guidelines
2021-NOW | SPU Major Institution Master Plan
2020-NOW | University of St. Catherine Development Framework
2015-2019 | UMN Campus Development and Open Space Framework
2017-2019 | UMN Campus Utility Corridor Guidelines
2017-2019 | UMN Campus Signage Guidelines
2017-2018 | Southeast Gateway Utilities Plan
2015-2016 | Crescent Area Joint Planning Precinct Plan
2014-2016 | Academic Health Center Strategic Facilities Plan
Feasibility and Design Studies
2017-2019 | Carlson School of Management Building Improvements and Infrastructure
2017-2019 | Anderson Hall Accessible Walkway and Emergency Egress
2017-2019 | Children’s Rehab Loading Dock Stormwater Management
2015-2019 | Community University Health Care Center Regulatory and Site Planning
2016-2019 | College of Design Innovation Center Renovation and Addition
2015-2016 | Campus Loading Dock Distribution Hubs and Logistics Planning
Capital Project Public Realm Design and Preliminary Development Review
2015-2019 | Essex Pedestrian Corridor and Student Recreation Space
2015-2019 | Health Sciences Education Center New Construction and Renovation
2015-2019 | Pioneer Hall Renovation
2017-2019 | Fairview Hospital Addition
2018-2019 | City of Minneapolis Tunneled Water Main Replacement
2015-2019 | Fairview Bulk Oxygen Tank Relocation
2017-2018 | Lot 13 Surface Parking Lot New Construction
Planning Processes, Committees, Working Groups
2015-2019 | Multi-Unit Six-Year Capital Improvement Plan Coordination
2015-2019 | City of Minneapolis and UMN Preliminary Development Review Coordination
2015-2019 | Campus Transit, Bicycle, and Pedestrian Planning Committees
2016-2019 | Campus Signage Committee
2017-2019 | Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Regulatory Review Coordination
2018-2018 | Assistant Vice President for Capital Project Management Search Committee
AWARDS
2019 | UMN Outstanding Service Award, Fairview Hospital Addition Preliminary Development Review
2018 | UMN University Services Star Performer, Fairview Hospital Addition Preliminary Development Review
2015 | UMN University Services Star Performer, UMN Campus Development Framework