Rebecca M. Houghtaling, MUP, RPCV
Urban & Regional Planner
Ms. Houghtaling has been a planner for R. Clark Associates, Inc. since 2005. She also has over three years of planning and planning-related experience in land use planning and policy, regional analysis, coastal zone management, economic development, and community development projects, as well as disaster preparedness planning for the American Red Cross. Her past experience stems from work in Michigan and Illinois, as well as research in the Netherlands.
During her time with RCAI, Ms. Houghtaling has worked on a wide variety of planning projects including master planning, community visioning, transportation planning, site plan and zoning ordinance review, urban design, and feasibility analyses. Rebecca was the project manager and writer for the award-winning New Designs for Growth Development Guidebook.
Ms. Houghtaling has extensive experience in project development and management, making public presentations, working with committees, analyzing data, writing reports, developing training materials, and conducting interviews. She has the technical background - including knowledge of software such as Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, and ArcGIS - to create maps, analyze data, produce reports, and develop PowerPoint presentations which portray pertinent information to an intended audience.
Ms. Houghtaling served as a Peace Corps Volunteer to Ukraine from 1999 through 2001 where, in addition to her teaching assignment, she facilitated community development projects, collaborated with Ukrainian and American officials on education policy and program evaluations, and conducted teacher-training seminars.
Education:
University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana
Master of Urban Planning, Summa Cum Laude, 2005
Eastern Kentucky University
Bachelor of Arts, History and English, Summa Cum Laude, 1999
Professional Registration:
Pursuing American Institute of Certified Planners certification
Professional Membership:
American Planning Association (APA)
Michigan Association of Planners (MAP)
Research & Presentations:
“Improving Development Through a Guidebook Process,” American Planning Association’s National Planning Conference, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, April 15,2007
Local impediments to realization of national policy: the role of stakeholders in siting wind projects, Delfzijl, The Netherlands
Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve: Trail Network and Botanical Gardens, Champaign County, Illinois
Awards:
Outstanding Planning Award for Project/Program/Tool (2007) for the New Designs for Growth Development Guidebook, Michigan Association of Planning
Merit Award for New Designs for Growth Development Guidebook (2006), Michgian Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects
Experience:
Three years with R. Clark Associates, Inc.
One year with West Central Michigan Chapter of American Red Cross
Areas of Specialization:
Community Planning & Visioning
Transportation Planning
Urban Design
Feasibility Analyses