Carolyn Esswein

About Carolyn Esswein

Designer, planner and educator whose work with communities is making them more inclusive and resilient. Projects integrate urban design and engagement skills to transform a variety of project scales. 25+ years of consulting experience informs her practice-based teaching. Work has been recognized through numerous state, regional, and national awards.

Selected Publications

Housing and Supportive Services for Adults with Autism: development and planning to establish the initial vision and support fundraising efforts with Communities of Crocus non-profit client. Urban development and conceptual design of several housing typologies, supportive training facility, and public spaces. 2023
https://www.communitiesofcrocus.org/

Green and Healthy Schoolyards. Conceptual design and community engagement. Working with the non-profit Reflo and Milwaukee Public Schools on the conversion of asphalt schoolyards into outdoor classrooms, green infrastructure, and safe play. 41 schools designed. Robust engagement process with students, faculty, staff, and community members.
https://refloh2o.com/schoolyard-redevelopment-projects, 100+ new housing units in King Neighborhood. City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County, 2022. Planning analysis to identify available lots for new housing ownership opportunities. Variety of housing typologies: single family, duplex, quad-plex, and townhomes. Plan assisted the City and County in partnership with Habitat for Humanity.

Recent Courses Taught

Applied Planning Workshop -- graduate capstone course. Semester-long client projects addressing a real world challenge with a community, non-profit, or organization. Students work in groups on the following: alternatives development and analysis, community engagement, best practices research, and recommendations are presented in a professional quality report. , Urban Design as Public Policy -- practice-based seminar explores a variety of urban design topics to understand how design contributes to urban character, and how regulations impact the built environment. Topics include neighborhood redevelopment, retail trends, missing middle housing, complete streets, public spaces, form-based codes, and waterfront guidelines. , Introduction to Urban Design and Physical Planning -- seminar about urban design characteristics and patterns of the built environment necessary to create vibrant cities: public spaces, complete streets, neighborhoods, and sustainable urbanism, that contribute to the character and health of the city. , Urban Sustainability -- A sustainable city includes human, social, economic, and environmental principles, combined within the built environment. Local and national projects are presented that highlight sustainability standards, trends, and principles, along with in-class discussions about best practices covering a variety of perspectives: architecture, planning, and political ecology.