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PLANNING RESOURCES INC.
  • About Us
  • Our Work
    • Parks and Recreation
    • Education
    • Civic and Public Realm
    • Health and Wellness
    • Private Development
  • Expertise
  • Careers
  • People
Lake Carriageway
Walker park ph ii

Soehrman Park Age 2-12 Playground
White Buffalo Park

Nlen Urban Apiary and Education Center Garden
North Lawndale Employment Network
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park

Expertise

We design to restore powerful connection between people and nature

SITE
planning

Articulating a community’s spirit and vision

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Urban
design

Promoting interaction and quality of life

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landscape architecture

Solutions for our outdoor environment

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MUNICIPAL PLAN REVIEW

Ensuring diverse and fiscally responsible landscapes

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OSLAD Grant service

Ensuring diverse and fiscally responsible landscapes

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Planning Resources Inc.

planresinc

Multi-disciplinary team of designers working in the Chicagoland area
Landscape Architecture | Site Planning | Urban Design | Master Planning

PRI is proud to announce that we have been selecte PRI is proud to announce that we have been selected as one of four landscape architecture firms to provide professional design services to the City of Bloomington, Illinois, through 2028. Our landscape design services may arise from projects identified in the City’s master plan, as included in the capital plan. The PRI team is ready to engage with the City of Bloomington on our first project.

#cityblm #landscapearchitecture #landscapedesign #ilasla #landscape #municipal #cityofbloomingtonil
The HARVEST HOMES Phase II Apartment project in Ea The HARVEST HOMES Phase II Apartment project in East Garfield Park is currently in the design development phase. Planning Resources Inc.’s scope of work encompasses landscape design, construction documents, and construction administration services. Acting as a consultant to UrbanWorks Architecture, PRI created a landscape plan for the 50-unit apartment building on a 2-acre site at the intersection of W. Jackson Blvd. and Homan Avenue. Along with the affordable housing units, the complex will feature passive and recreational spaces and a public food hall.

When complete, the immersive outdoor space will include a roof deck patio, a variety of public plazas, a nook garden, a creative play area, barrier-free pathways/walking path, and an engaging water feature that draws you in, inviting community engagement and promoting the creative articulation of landforms and plantings through the site. 

The People’s Community Development Association of Chicago (PCDAC) and the NHP Foundation are co-developers. The new development will ensure that long-time residents can continue living in their community. 

#ilasla #recreation #ipra #landscapedesign #landscapearchitecture #creativeplayarea #plazas #gardens #affordablehousing #communityengagement #recreationalspaces #barrierfreepathways
Planning Resources Inc. has much to celebrate this Planning Resources Inc. has much to celebrate this month. PRI is delighted to welcome the Foss Park District to our growing family of clients. We are eager to collaborate on their Comprehensive Master Plan, helping to shape their parks and open spaces for the next 5 to 10 years. PRI's scope of work includes a needs assessment, community survey, public engagement, recreation programming inventory/assessment, and master plan recommendations for nine parks. 

#fossparkdistrict #parks #recreation #landscapedesign #landscapearchitecture #comprehensivemasterplan #publicengagement #masterplan #IPRA #ilasla #IllinoisAssociationofParkDistricts
Village of Oak Park - Dr. Percy Julian Streetscape Village of Oak Park - Dr. Percy Julian Streetscape Open House

The Open House held on April 22 displayed PRI’s findings from Phase I and provided materials for discussion and feedback in Phase II. PRI presented results from community engagement sessions and an online survey. A site analysis of the current street to highlight existing obstacles and opportunities was also shared during the open house. 

These insights enabled us to progress to Phase II, which involved using the information gathered to create concepts. We established three pillars: Identity (how the streetscape should look), Narrative (how the story of Dr. Percy Julian should be told), and Site Design (where elements should be placed). Each of these pillars featured three different variations to address these questions. Attendees received stickers to vote for their favorite concept in each pillar and post-its to add additional comments. A large-scale map of the site was also available for attendees to mark. Feedback from the open house will help influence the final design of the streetscape. 

#OakPark #oakparkil #percyjulian #chicagoavenue #julianstreetscapeproject #communityengagement #OakParkILHistory #streetscapes
WLAM 2025 Promoting Social Connections Through La WLAM 2025 
Promoting Social Connections Through Landscape Design

As a licensed landscape architect and President/CEO of Planning Resources Inc., Darrell Garrison’s passion for Landscape Architecture lies in the creative design of public environments and “memorable” urban people plazas that promote genuine social connections and cultivate a strong sense of belonging. 

As an African American professional in this field, his journey as a minority architect has deepened his commitment and dedication to inclusive and meaningful design for all people. Serving as Project Director on signature projects like the universally designed accessible creative play environment at Soehrman Park (Pleasant Dale Park District) and the unifying intergenerational public plaza at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park (City of Hammond, Hammond, IN), once implemented, witnessing these spaces bring vibrant communities to life truly fuels Darrell’s inspiration and underscores the transformative power of landscape architecture. Designing for connection and inclusiveness isn't just what he does - it’s why he does what he does; it’s his purpose!

#WLAM2025 #ILASLA #parks #IPRA #IAPD #landscapedesign #landscapearchitecture #recreation #inclusivity #plazas #minorityarchitect #universaldesign #playground
Happy Birthday, Frederick Law Olmsted! On this da Happy Birthday, Frederick Law Olmsted! 
On this date in 1822, the father of Landscape Architecture was born in Hartford, Connecticut. Frederick worked as a clerk, an apprentice seaman, an apprentice topographic engineer, a farmer, a journalist, and a writer before he turned to landscape architecture.

He planned and designed the Arnold Arboretum in Boston with its founding director, Charles Sprague Sargent. The Arboretum has long operated in service of Olmsted’s philosophy that public parks are an essential component of democracy, where people from different walks of life can connect and find common ground.

In the late 1880s, when the Chicago World’s Columbian Exposition was being planned for 1893, Olmsted was chosen to head the landscape project, which he later redesigned as Jackson Park. 

#WLAM2025 #LandscapeArchitecture #LandscapeDesign #ILASLA #chicagoparkdistrict #parks #recreation #ArnoldArboretum #IPRA #illinoisassociationofparkdistricts #FrederickLawOlmsted #parkdistrict
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WLAM 2025 – Spotlight on Accessible Parks Illino WLAM 2025 – Spotlight on Accessible Parks
Illinois House Bill 1788 recently passed the Illinois House with strong bipartisan support and is now awaiting consideration by the Illinois Senate. The bill would amend the IDNR/Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development Program, or OSLAD. The OSLAD grant is a state grant given to Illinois park districts to help fund new outdoor recreation up to $600,000. 

The bill, if passed, will “prioritize projects that incorporate universal design elements.” Universal design is the principle that every environment should be accessible, functional, and enjoyable for everyone, regardless of age or ability. Some examples of universal design elements are playground surfacing like poured-in-place rubber surfacing or synthetic turf for enhanced mobility, multiple access points and routes suitable for wheelchairs, and a variety of ground-level and elevated play components accessible to individuals with diverse physical abilities.

Leigh Creek South Park, located in New Lenox, IL, is an example of an OSLAD-funded project designed with universal design in mind.

PRI provided OSLAD grant assistance, site master planning, and landscape design for the 3.61-acre Leigh Creek South Park. The park features a central shelter that serves as a “nerve center” for the park site, communication boards, a warrior and activity path, fitness stations, bags and bocce plaza, an adaptive softball field, and a walking/running path with fitness nodes.

The accessible park offers adaptive and special recreational services to kids and adults with a universally designed playground that complements the Lincolnway Special Recreation Association (LWSRA) facility on the adjacent park site, and basketball and Bankshot courts.

The park expands recreation opportunities, improves ADA access, and enhances the natural environment.

#newlenoxcommunityparkdistrict #universaldesignelements #accessibility #parks #OSLADGrant #ILASLA #IllinoisDepartmentofNaturalResources #inclusiveswings #landscapedesign #LincolnwaySpecialRecreationCenter #tactilepanels
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CONTACT:
913 Parkview Blvd.
Lombard, IL 60148
Phone: (630) 668-3788
Email: info@planres.com