Currently leading an international consulting group in charge of urban planning and development strategy, Lennie considers himself an urbanist whose career has been a collaborative experience in which as part of a team -and often as the lead, has to fuse urban design, environmental remediation, sustainable master planning and coordination of multi-discilinary consultants.
He enjoys creating places that respond to their context and that reflect the very qualities found in their surroundings, has good communication skills, working well with others and enjoying a diverse and demanding workload.
Hill International, Riyadh, SA, Senior Urban Planner, Design Director
Design Management with full coordination of a multi-disciplinary team of consultants and in-house experts. Overseeing, developing and implementing these master plan designs in line with client’s vision and goals of ultimately delivering human-scale, people friendly walking communities while ensuring compliance of design consultants to adhere to schedule of deliverables. Starting with setting the briefs for sites, selecting architects/planners and the wider design teams, managing the design process and procuring contractors or developer partners as required.
The Living Communities programme is an ambitious development introducing an international standard of living in Saudi Arabia. There are currently seven “Living Communities” (approximately 6,953,864 m2 ) in the design process for which the Hill-Living Communities team has endeavoured to procure -via RFPs, international architectural-planning firms to develop conceptual design options and deliver seven unique gated, mixed-use medium density communities that are engaging, walkable and offer a sustainable lifestyle. Well-planned cities that afford all residents the opportunity to lead safe, healthy, and productive lives.
DAR AL RIYADH CONSULTANT ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE, Riyadh, SA, Head of Urban Design & Planning Department (HoD)
As HoD, Senior Urban Planner performed a variety of senior level analytical, planning, and management tasks related to the identification, design, and construction of these major master-planned communities projects; well-designed cities that provide with design innovations, major opportunities for all residents healthy, sustainable living and promote social inclusion, resilience, and prosperity.
Top responsibility and focus on managing planning team, provide leadership, establishment of assignments and goals and successfully delivering projects timely. Coordination of multidisciplinary in-house team, outside consultants and serving as client liaison.
Urbanist International Consultants, New York, London, Lisbon, PT, Senior Urban Planner, Design Director
Founded and headed an international urban design and planning consulting group, with lead role for large, complex, strategic urban design projects and liaising directly with clients via face to face, phone and/or email on a daily basis.
In that role was responsible for design development, day-to-day managing and coordinating stakeholders, community consultation, perform feasibility studies, reports and public presentations.
CMSS Architects, PC, Reston, VA, US - Virginia Beach, VA, US, Senior Urban Planner, Design Director
As Project Manager, acted as daily client liaison, project coordination and planning team leader of multi-disciplinary consultant team on various innovative master planning projects across the US. Lead efforts for a multi-disciplinary team of consultants on various master plan projects; including the Pembroke Strategic Growth Ara Master Plan, an in-deep study and action recommendations for a proposed new city center and districts, serving needs of the entire city and surrounding region.
In this capacity, coordinated community and stake holders’ presentations, Charrettes, presented plans through public approval process until integration into local Comprehensive Plans. Headed master planning design and created strategy for, among others, developing a Strategic Master Plan to guide future development, create an exciting, innovative vision for the future growth and development within a Strategic Growth Area -SGA.
Lead and coordinated a team of analysts, graphic and in-house public relations. Wrote project reports and oversaw presentations, day-to-day liaison and coordination of planning team.
Area Implementation Plan, an innovative vision for future growth and development of a 1,200-acre
central business district adopted by the City Council in December 2009 and several others in strategic cities of South-Eastern Virginia.
Urban Resource Group, Inc., Virginia Beach, VA, US, Senior Urban Planner, Design Director
Brought to Virginia region to open-up and direct the creation of company’s urban planning division.
Hiring staff and generally doing marketing outreach and client relations. Coordinated initial design
and team for large and medium-size master planning projects in seven cities in the region. Was invited to participate as a lecturer at the University of Virginia.
GreenbergFarrow, New York, NY, US, Senior Urban Planner, Design Director
In charge of coordinating site investigation, site planning, due diligence, project entitlements,
legal documents and real estate transaction review. Project & consultant management
throughout. Projects included large mixed-use development in the NY-metropolitan area.
North American Realty Advisory Services, LP, New York, NY, US, Senior Urban Planner, Design Director
Extensive consultant experience coordinating projects with public agencies across the
US; including the reuse master plan for a 1,600-acre historical naval base part of BRAC (Defense Base Closure & Realignment (BRAC) Program Coordinating client relations, redevelopment board meetings
and large multi-disciplinary team engaged in environmental clean up for property transfer to
private sector with creative adaptive design, helping transition from the industrial footprint of a
century-old naval base into a vibrant mixed-use community of residential, recreation and
commercial new users.
BBA-Brandon Industries, Inc., New York, NY, US, Senior Urban Planner, Design Director
In charge of design development from inception to construction in a small-medium company.Oversaw construction administration and design team in residential, retail and commercial projects in New York City, including several trendy restaurants, showroooms and beach houses in the metro New York area.
US Environmental Protection Agency’s Phoenix Award for Excellence in Brownfields Redevelopment Award., 1st Place
The Bayfront-Erie Street Complex in Erie, PA was named winner of the Grand Prize Phoenix Award, the highest honor in brownfield development. For more than 80 years, GPU Energy's Front Street Station, a 118-megawatt coal-fired power plant, was located along Lake Erie on Presque Isle Bay. In 1989, GPU began planning the facility's closure.
The property contained an electric substation, a 120-foot smokestack, fuel tanks, ash dewatering ponds and various other facilities. Environmental contamination at the site was addressed under Pennsylvania's Land Recycling Program.
Today, the former Front Street Station transformed into Bayfront Centre, a $117 million mixed-use development featuring the Erie Maritime Museum, the Erie County Library and Civic Auditorium,
a hotel, commercial space, a marina and a residential area. It is homeport to the U.S. Brig Niagara, an authentic replica of the U.S. warship aboard which Commodore Perry won the Battle of Lake Erie
in the war of 1812.
