As a specialist in Large Scale Mixed Use design, Matthew’s small-town upbringing in LaGrange, Indiana (land area: 1.7 square miles; population: 2,715), informs much of his work. “As designers we call it walkability, as a kid it was freedom. You could wander and explore. You could go to the grocery store or the bakery, visit your parents at work, or just bounce between friends’ houses,” he says, noting that every business and service was all right there within walking distance. “That freedom as a child is something that I valued. It really attracted me to urban design.”

Regular visits to Chicago helped develop a love of cities, and he ultimately moved to New York to complete his studies and has stayed there since earning his master’s in 2006. But the art of large-scale design keeps bringing him back to the notion of a small town.  “No matter how large or small, it is important for me to try to understand the communities you’re working in,” he says. “Before you can work to help make a place better, you have to engage with what makes it special.  I’ve always enjoyed that about this type of work. It always it fresh and allows me to be perpetually curious.”

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Matthew has long served as the green coordinator for the firm’s Large Scale Mixed Use practice area, helping to craft Sustainability Metrics for both the Planning and Urban Design and Multi-Family practice areas. He also participates in the firmwide mentorship program, where he’s been both a mentee and a mentor.