Charles Neer

Charles Neer, ASLA, Principal, leads WRT’s Parks and Open Space Practice. Charles’ view of landscape as a productive agent in the shaping of cities, countryside, and culture is informed by 20+ years of experience with urban landscapes, park master planning and design. He has worked on various waterfronts, campus master plans and urban designs throughout the country including the Anacostia Waterfront Initiative in Washington, DC, a comprehensive open space framework and environmental agenda encompassing over 1,600 acres of public and private waterfront lands; the Principal Riverwalk in Des Moines, IA, which leveraged civic infrastructure to activate an underutilized riverfront; and the current FDR Park Master Plan, which seeks to find the balance between the needs of the site’s hydrology, natural and cultural resources, and programed spaces. His recently published book - The Poetics of Becoming - is a visual celebration of the 4,000-acre, $125 million The Parklands of Floyds Fork in Louisville, which he led as project manager. Charles has taught design studios at the University of Pennsylvania and Temple University, and is Board President of the Fairmount Community Development Corporation in Philadelphia. Charles is a member of the Urban Land Institute, City Parks Alliance and the American Society of Landscape Architects. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Washington University and a Master’s of Landscape Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania.