Mitchell
Silver

Principal, McAdams, Durham, US

Mitchell is a principal with McAdams. He is responsible for providing advisory services in urban planning, land use, parks and public space planning with an emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion. Mitchell serves as an ambassador and leader for the company in regional and national organizations and events. He is the current president of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) President and former president of the American Planning Association (APA). Mitchell is an award-winning planner with over 35 years of experience. He is internationally recognized for his leadership in the urban planning profession, parks and public space planning and contributions to contemporary planning issues. Prior to joining McAdams, Mitchell served as the New York City Parks Commissioner overseeing over 30,000 acres of parkland. He also served as the Chief Planning & Development Officer and Planning Director for Raleigh, NC. 

When Mayor Bill de Blasio named Mitchell as New York City's Parks Commissioner, he called him “a visionary.” The Mayor went on to say: “He has a passion for fairness and equality. He understands that we have to ensure that parks and open spaces are available in every community and are well-maintained in every neighborhood in this city.” At NYC Parks, Commissioner streamlined the capital process by 6 months allowing the public to enjoy renovated parks sooner. He introduced a new public realm strategy called “Parks without Borders,” launched a capital project tracking system and initiated a Framework for an Equitable Future to  improve the parks system that included a $318 million campaign to transform 67 of the City’s most neglected parks. The $50 million “Parks Without Borders” program earned national and international recognition for its innovative approach to urban design and helped make parks safer and more accessible. Both the Community Parks Initiative and Parks without Borders is being replicated in the United States and abroad.

Mitchell is one of the nation’s most celebrated urban thinkers. He was selected to Planetizen’s list of the 100 Most Influential Urbanists in the world. In addition, he has been honored as one of the top 100 City Innovators in the world by UBM Future Cities, and the Urban Times named him one of the top international thought leaders of the built environment. In 2017, Mitchell was selected to be an honorary member of the American Society of Landscape Architects.