Eric Yurkovich is an urban planner with experience in the planning and design of the built and natural environment at the regional, district and block scales. He also has expertise in transportation planning, regional growth policy, economic development and social planning. Mr. Yurkovich specializes in transit-oriented development, district and regional land use policy, transportation corridor planning and policy, and regional and community-scale planning workshops. At Calthorpe Associates he has worked on the following projects:

• Fresno Southeast Growth Area (SEGA) Specific Plan – Currently creating a specific plan for the future development of a 9,000-acre area in the City of Fresno. Located in the California’s Central Valley, Fresno is acting on the imperative to reduce mobile source emissions by supporting a compact pattern for new growth focused along new, high-capacity transit infrastructure. The physical plan will be supported by a range of policies that promote housing affordability, infrastructure and open space consolidation, and efficient use of natural resources.
• Louisiana Speaks Regional Planning – Developed a long range regional vision for Southern Louisiana in the wake of the damage from hurricanes Katrina and Rita in August 2005. The project explored alternative ways that growth and development can be accommodated in the context of varying environmental, economic, and cultural patterns. Driven by extensive public input, a series of growth scenarios illustrated and explored the various ways Southern Louisiana and its constituent communities can recover and evolve over the long-term. These scenarios delineated the consequences of choosing different approaches, providing the public and policy makers with a set of options for creating a cohesive vision for the region’s ecological, economic and social future. In addition to developing a preferred vision, a detailed strategic plan to implement near-term recovery actions, long-term growth policies, and the intuitional framework necessary was created. Development of the final plan was closely coordinated with public and private sector leaders to facilitate institutional commitment and short and long-term implementation.
• Bay Area Transit-Oriented Development Study– Worked with Reconnecting America's Center for Transit-Oriented Development on a Bay Area Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) policy framework for the Metropolitan Transportation Commission in the San Francisco Bay Area. The study addressed the role and distribution of TOD opportunities in the Bay Area, summarized current policy approaches toward supporting the development of TODs, defined potentially effective policies for the region, performed case studies of TOD opportunities, and recommended refinements to regional policies that support TOD. Calthorpe Associates led the case study research, examining the potential for transit-oriented development along four rail corridors in the Bay Area. The study evaluated each station within the transit corridors, reviewing existing site conditions, future planned development, and estimated site capacity based on both land supply and estimated TOD demand. Case study analysis provided the basis for the housing thresholds that were adopted and established by the MTC for new transit extensions.
• All Systems Go! Long Range Transit Plan – Passed by the region's voters in 2004, the long-range transit plan for the Capital Metropolitan Planning Authority in Central Texas (Austin) has led to the construction of the Capital MetroRail Red Line and a series of bus rapid transit lines. The plan modeled land use and transportation alternatives that examined the role transit infrastructure can play in organizing future growth. The alternatives demonstrated that focused reinvestment adjacent to transit stations reduced development on sensitive lands, increased transit ridership, managed congestion levels and air quality, and resulted in significant saving for municipal governments and citizens.
• Ann Arbor Downtown Development Strategies Project – Worked with the City Council, City Planning Commission, and the Downtown Development Authority of Ann Arbor, Michigan on a vision and policy framework for Downtown Ann Arbor. The City sought a Smart Growth strategy to focus new development in Downtown, while reducing development pressure on valuable open space and agricultural lands. The project included a three workshop series that guided citizens through a series of participatory exercises to help inform Calthorpe Associates recommendations. Several key project recommendations have been implemented including updating zoning, implementing our workflow management software system for the development process, adopting a comprehensive parking strategy, and codifying design standards.
• West Bench Master Planning and General Plan – Created an environmentally sustainable Master Plan for more than 90,000 acres of mining land reuse and new development along the edge of the Salt Lake Valley, Utah. The plan represents five years of detailed and comprehensive design studies, development programming, environmental study, capacity analysis, and scenario building and modeling. The Master Plan features a community structure based on an organized hierarchy of walkable mixed use centers, a balanced transportation network, a rich open space network, and terrain-responsive residential types. Salt Lake County codified the Master Plan as an amendment to the 2006 General Plan.
• Southern California COMPASS – Planner on the Calthorpe Associates team for this regional planning effort with the Southern California Association of Governments. The region encompasses 6 counties and is home to more than 17 million people. Extensive public input through workshops and other venues will form the basis of alternatives for regional growth that explore ways the region can accommodate projected population and employment. Land use and transportation modeling measured the consequences of different growth patterns and serve to inform regional decision-making.
• Envision Central Texas – Developed and modeled regional land use and transportation scenarios for this regional planning effort for the Central Texas Region (Austin and surrounding counties). The project integrated public input from communities throughout the region to inform regional land use and transportation decisions. Extensive public input through regional and subregional growth visioning workshops formed the basis for a series of regional growth alternatives. The project also incorporates site-level design workshops which serve to illustrate how human-scale and transit-oriented urban design concepts can be applied in communities throughout the Central Texas region.
• Smart Growth Twin Cities – Designed, developed, and modeled alternative development options for the Metropolitan Council. The 2-year multi-phase process included developing regional and subregional development alternatives through a public workshop process, enhancing regional land use and transportation databases and models, and creating detailed opportunity site designs that explore ways to utilize walkable and transit-oriented urban design strategies in selected communities throughout the region. The project led to the creation of Blueprint 2030 and the eventual adoption of the 2030 Regional Development Framework.

Prior to joining Calthorpe Associates, Mr. Yurkovich worked on the creation of the US Geological Survey’s Crowding the Rim Initiative. The project promoted international, cross-sector discussions to better understand and prepare for the potential reverberating effects of natural hazards. During his tenure with the USGS, Mr. Yurkovich prepared and presented a multi-hazard risk assessment, developed and published an interactive digital map, collaborated on a high school to university level educational module, and organized an international summit. 
Mr. Yurkovich received his Bachelor of Arts in Geography from Macalester College.