Brian Creamer’s Reflection on Past, Present and Future with Boston University’s City Planning and Urban Affairs Program.

Brian Creamer is a Boston native and an expert when it comes to city planning. He has an undergraduate degree in landscape architecture and a Master of City Planning. Brian is a Massachusetts Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) provider, a Sustainable Sites Institute (SITES) Accredited Professional, and a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP). He is currently employed as a Project Designer with Nitsch Engineering. 

Brian’s breadth of work over his 8 years of sustainable planning and design experience spans a variety of project types. From campus and institutional master planning to municipal open space and resilience planning efforts, Brian has consistently shown keen interest in the intersection of ecology and cities. He is especially focused on designing sites which sustainably integrate stormwater into the landscape.

Some of his recent projects include the Princeton University 2026 Campus Plan, DC Water Clean Rivers Project, Upper Harbor Terminal in Minneapolis, and the Moakley Park Vision Plan. He believes that the best way to build community is to get involved locally. Brian has worked on numerous small projects, grant applications, and planning processes in his current home of Malden, MA, and served as the Chair of the Malden Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Walkability, on the Malden Open Space and Recreation Plan Committee, and is a Commissioner with the Malden Conservation Commission. He was also named APA-MA Emerging/Rising Planner.

The Student

After completing his undergraduate education at Pennsylvania State University, Brian went on to graduate from the Masters of City Planning degree program at Boston University in 2015. 

“The City Planning and Urban Affairs Program’s flexible scheduling allowed me to keep a full time job in real estate development while pursuing my degree,” Brian said. “I was encouraged to explore all aspects of urban planning, from public health to budgeting and even urban design challenges. Upon graduating, I found my current position as a project designer with the planning department at Nitsch Engineering, and I entered the workforce prepared to make a difference.”

Brian reflected that, as a student, he spent too much time focusing on a small number of specialties instead of rounding out his skill set. Looking back, Brian would you tell his younger self that planners, as generalists, should have working knowledge of a multitude of topics. 

“From urban design issues, transportation modeling, conservation, site development, historic preservation, place-making, [to] public engagement, planners are expected to have an understanding of it all the moving pieces that make up our cities and regions,” Brian explained. 

Throughout his undergraduate and graduate education experiences, Brian had several teachers and professors who stood out as inspirational. 

“I had many excellent teachers both in undergrad and during my time at BU. Madhu has served as a mentor both professionally and personally and inspired me to push myself towards teaching. Yesim has also served as an important mentor and has helped me make the transition to becoming an adjunct instructor. I also keep a connection with professors from my undergraduate education, Eliza Pennypacker, the Department Head at Penn State’s Stuckeman School Landscape Architecture.” Dr. Madhu Dutta-Koehler is an Associate Professor of the Practice and Director of the City Planning and Urban Affairs Program, and Dr. Yesim Sungu-Eryilmaz is an Assistant Professor in the Program.

He added a bit of advice, “One of the takeaways I have for upcoming graduates from my first few years of working professionally is to keep in touch with your professors, they often become some of the best resources and sounding boards as you move into your career.”

The Teacher

Brian Creamer is now a Senior Planner at Nitsch Engineering and an Adjunct Faculty member with Boston University’s City Planning and Urban Affairs Program. He teaches courses on planning topics including architecture and urban design. Brian just finished teachingUA 580: Boston Experience: The Role of Architecture in Creating a Sense of Place for the first time this past fall 2018 semester. He was also a facilitator for Madhu’s Urban Studies Capstone course this past spring. 

When asked why he decided to start teaching, Brian replied, “I had some great experiences returning to BU after graduating to guest critique final and midterm presentations. Also, guest critiquing studio courses at Boston Architectural College sparked my interest in teaching. The event that really pushed me to think more seriously about teaching was when I was asked to construct UA805 – Capstone with Yesim in 2017.”

As a teacher, Brian is motivated by students who push themselves outside of their comfort zones. He said, “Many students in the BU MET MCP and MUA programs are accessing and grappling with the tough questions in planning for the first time, and their thoughtful, nuanced approach to problem solving keeps me motivated.”

Brian thinks it’s incredibly important for students to understand just how transferable the skill sets that come with a degree in planning are. Brian believes planning is in a unique space as a profession, and the skills planners develop are useful in many different sectors of the economy. He thinks graduating students might consider looking to municipal planning, regional planning or even real estate development as almost ‘default’ career paths, and encourages his students to seek and pursue careers outside of the traditional path.

“Planners have the ability to incorporate the implications of long-range consequences and forecasts into our work,” Brian said. “These skills are so transferable, and really critical, for many fields outside of typical ‘planning’ jobs. Students should recognize how valuable their skill sets are, and leverage them in non-traditional sectors.”

Brian says the most important lesson his students have taught him is to be prepared. He said, “Class time is so important, and since the MUA and MCP degree classes typically only meet once a week, making sure that we make the most of our in-person time helps bring the entire class’ learning forward. As teaching increasingly moves towards using more tools to meet remotely, communication via email, and using tools provide passive feedback on drafts and assignment submissions, my students have definitely made me realize how critical in-classroom and on-site time is.”

When asked how the transition in the classroom from student to teacher went, Brian replied that it was tough at first, but he definitely feels like he needs a few more years under his belt to have a good answer to the question. 

The Future

Brian has now entered a new – and arguably the most exciting – chapter of his life: fatherhood. He now finds himself busier than ever, but also excited for the future. 

Moving forward, in terms of his students, Brian thinks there is a strong need in the industry for more people who really understand and excel at public engagement. 

“Being able to effectively gather disparate voices, make sure varying interests are heard is a very important skill in contemporary planning,” Brian insists.

Similarly to how he answered on the transition from student to teacher in the classroom, Brian believes the effect of fatherhood on his teaching career will take some time to show effects. “I don’t know,’ he laughed, when asked if he will approach teaching differently now. “Maybe more on this in a few years.”

Jill Serron, COM ’20