Project manager Matt Phillips grew up in Trussville, Alabama, a suburb nestled just outside of Birmingham. Picture an up-and-coming area with cozy, small-town vibes. As a kid, Matt remembers being able to bike all over the city with his friends without having to worry about cars. Now, he wants to bring that experience back to residents by creating safe bike and pedestrian connections throughout the city. 

Matt spent his whole life in Trussville, only leaving to attend Auburn University. When he and his wife got married, they moved back to be closer to family. The stars aligned when Matt ran into an old family-friend on the Trussville Redevelopment Authority, an organization on a mission to make the downtown area an experience––complete with entertainment, walkable streets and a brand-new look for Trussville. Matt's friend knew about his landscape architecture experience and invited him to a meeting. Matt quickly realized the potential of the project and was energized to get started. Shortly after, he was appointed a member of the TRA.  

The first few years of the project saw little movement. But things really started to click when the city architect, TURNERBATSON,  hired Dix.Hite + Partners (small world, right?). We helped develop plans for Quad 1, which was the first phase of the project and acts as a standard for the rest of the redevelopment. These plans will also set the stage for many more projects in the area. 

Matt currently serves on the design review board, and acts as a liaison between them and the TRA. It’s a major feat to get everyone––from the mayor to city engineers to city maintenance folks––all on board behind a singular vision. But to Matt, this was something worth fighting for. Thanks to his education and experience, he was able to offer unique insights and show them that big change was possible, especially if everyone was working toward the same goal. They could continue with the status quo, or switch things up and transform the city into what they really wanted it to be. 

In the past few years, the mindset finally shifted from wanting to follow the typical suburban development model, to wanting to create a walkable, pedestrian-centered town––one that people would want to spend time in rather than just drive through. There’s still a lot of work to be done, but this change in thinking is a giant leap forward.  

As landscape architects, we try to challenge communities to create healthier, more accessible and more prosperous public realms. And it looks like “the gateway to happy living” is well on its way to becoming just that.