Parks, Open Space, and Placemaking

What I can do for you
I'm an independent consultant (Charlie McCabe Consulting LLC), based in Greater Boston, who can provide research, analysis, and recommendations for parks, open space, and placemaking. With over 16 years of experience working with parks non-profits in Austin, Boston, and New York City, I know the challenges as well as the solutions that public and non-profit park partnerships use to operate, program, and improve parks and I'm happy to help you.
My current clients include the Central Park Conservancy (Institute for Urban Parks including Partnerships Lab participants), the City of Austin / Zilker Park Vision Plan (through Design Workshop), assisting with work through Bloomberg Associates, and with SPUR and parks agencies in San Jose, CA. I volunteer with a number of parks non-profits in the Greater Boston area, and serve as a board member for Friends of Fells. I also help with pro-bono research and analysis and work as a volunteer with local parks, land trust conservancies, and foundations. Past clients include projects for the Trust for Public Land from Sept 2019 through Feb 2021. Please see my Recent Work page for a complete list of clients, past and present.
Prior to my consulting role, I was the Director of the Center for City Park Excellence at The Trust for Public Land (2017-2019). I've also served as Director of Public Programs for the Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy (2012-2015) and the Executive Director of the Austin Parks Foundation (2005-2012). Between the Greenway and The Trust for Public Land, I earned a master's degree in Urban Placemaking & Management at Pratt Institute and worked as a fellow at New Yorkers for Parks and the Municipal Art Society in New York City.