The story

A studio built to help people understand infrastructure.

Parker & Vale began with a simple observation from inside public planning: the technical work was often strong, but the public story was missing.

The origin

For a decade, Derrick Harris worked inside metropolitan planning organizations and city planning departments. The work was technical, regulated, and consequential.

Long-range transportation plans shaped where communities would grow. TIP amendments decided which projects moved forward. Public meetings asked residents to respond to decisions that were often difficult to see, read, or understand.

The pattern became impossible to ignore. Planning documents were compliant, but they often failed to connect with the public. Maps held important context, but they rarely told the story. Communities were being asked to trust work they could not clearly see.

"The gap between what gets built and what communities understand is where Parker & Vale began."

Parker & Vale was started to bring planning, GIS & mapping, and documentary storytelling into one purpose: helping communities understand infrastructure.

The mission today is to make complex public work clear without flattening it. The vision is a future where infrastructure planning is not only technically sound, but visible, human, and trusted.

The arc
I
A decade inside metropolitan planning organizationsLearning how plans are funded, reviewed, adopted, amended, and explained in public.
II
The documents were compliantBut too often they were too dense, too abstract, and too disconnected from the people they affected.
III
The maps held the storyGIS revealed patterns, tradeoffs, and consequences that plain reports rarely made visible.
IV
The public needed a human layerInterviews, photography, film, and plain language could make infrastructure feel real before construction began.
V
Parker & Vale beganNot as a traditional planning consultant, but as a studio for infrastructure planning, GIS & mapping, and documentary storytelling.
VI
The mission nowHelp communities understand the systems, projects, and choices that shape their future.
How we work

Principles that keep the work human.

Technical work earns trust

Domain expertise is not optional. We know what a TIP amendment is, what federal reviewers look for, and what elected officials need to see before they vote.

Maps should explain

GIS is not decoration. Every map should help someone understand a place, a decision, or a consequence more clearly.

Clarity over volume

A 200-page planning document that nobody reads has little public value. We design for comprehension while keeping the technical work sound.

Stories outlast reports

A short film, a strong photograph, or a plain-language narrative can stay with people long after a meeting ends.

Context changes decisions

Data without context is hard to trust. We give numbers, maps, and plans the story they need to be understood.

Attention is part of the craft

We work with a limited number of clients at a time so each project gets the thinking, field work, and care it deserves.

Work with us

Ready to help people understand what's next?

If your project needs planning depth, mapping clarity, and a human story, we'd like to hear about it.

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