Courtney Levingston is a Senior Planner in RVi’s Denver office. With 16 years of experience, she has expertise in both the public and private sector as a client and as a consultant. In this Employee Spotlight, Courtney shares who inspired her to pursue urban planning, the positive effects of planning in communities and lives, and unexpected facts that people may not know about the profession.

Who inspired you to pursue a career in landscape architecture and planning?

My grandmother. She was a World War II veteran and very active and engaged in our community, which was a small northern suburb of Detroit. Some of my earliest memories are going with her door-to-door while she gathered signatures for petitions and advocated for community-driven initiatives. From attending town meetings with her to sitting with her at the kitchen table as she single-handedly wrote a national historic resident designation for our little downtown, I witnessed her do all she could to make the place she grew up and lived in better for everyone. She taught me that with a bit of hard work, one person can make the world a better place.

What kind of education, training, and experience do you have in urban planning?

I earned my undergraduate degree in pre-law at Michigan State University, then pursued my master’s in urban and regional planning from the University of Colorado. In between that, I took a gap year to immerse myself in the Colorado lifestyle and explore other passions, particularly my love of skiing. Now, I have 16 years of experience, with most of that time spent in the public sector. I switched to the private sector when I joined RVi. I wanted to get a range of experiences and leverage my deep knowledge of Colorado’s public planning landscape to strengthen client relationships and bridge the gap between public and private sectors. I saw a disconnect between city planners and consultants, and I wanted to use my knowledge and experiences to improve collaboration and communication between them.

What do you enjoy the most about being an urban planner?

The variety of projects. I love how one day I’m working on a downtown revitalization plan, then the next day I’m facilitating a community meeting for a new park. Planning is so dynamic, and I love that it requires a blend of creativity, strategy, and problem-solving.

What has been the most challenging part of your job?

Planners can get a lot of public scrutiny. We have the best intentions of showing people how we do this work to improve communities and lives, and it’s tough when our good intentions are met with skepticism or resistance. To get past that, I try to lead with empathy and transparency, listen to the community, and show our work. When they see we have nothing to hide, and that we are genuinely interested in them as humans and not just completing a project, it helps establish trust.

What was your favorite or most memorable project?

One project that stands out was a long-range plan for a new mixed-use community that included a 70-acre park. The vision ultimately didn’t pass a public vote, but the silver lining was that we could now advocate for the property to become a full park space. In Colorado especially, we’re huge advocates for green spaces, and knowing that the community will benefit from all that open space is a win in my book.

What is something you wish more people knew about urban planning?

Planning is so much more than zoning and land use codes. It’s about shaping the way people experience and interact with the built environment. Also, your voice as a member of the community holds a lot of weight. Public input drives our projects, whether they are public or private sector initiatives. A planner’s goal is to make sure community needs are reflected in the end result.

What made you choose RVi?

The people. RVi has some of the most talented designers out there, producing beautiful, inspiring work that’s done with integrity and authenticity. As someone who formerly sat on the client side, I knew people from RVi in different capacities over the course of my career and knew I wanted to be part of a team whose values aligned with my own.

What are some of your career goals?

I want to leverage my expertise in municipal processes and public planning to help bridge the gap between public and private sectors here in Colorado and beyond. I also want to continue developing really strong client relationships for RVi moving forward.

What has been your proudest career moment?

It’s hard to say. As a planner, I’m always looking forward and not backward, so I like to live in the future. Overall, I’m proud of the work I’ve done to improve communities, and I also think the best is yet to come!

What is something your colleagues may not know about you?

My minor was in Japanese and I studied abroad in Japan, where I got to climb Mount Fuji. I played basketball growing up, and I’m a huge Denver Nuggets fan. I also love to run; sometimes, instead of a typical site walk, I’ll turn it into a site run and get the best of both worlds.