Alexis Spurlock

ABOUT ME

My name is Alexis, but most people call me Lexi. I am currently pursuing a degree in Urban Planning at the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP). I initially began my studies in Architecture but soon realized my true passion lies in focusing on the people and communities I was designing for, rather than solely on the aesthetics— though I still have a deep appreciation for thoughtful, beautiful design.

As a planner, I thrive at the intersection of community engagement, data visualization, and creative problem-solving. My work often involves combining tools like ArcGIS Pro/QGIS and the Adobe Creative Suite to craft maps, graphics, and engagement materials that make complex ideas accessible to diverse audiences.

With experience spanning zoning code graphics, neighborhood studies, community engagement, and comprehensive planning, I am driven by a desire to create equitable and inclusive planning solutions that celebrate the uniqueness of each community. I believe that thoughtful design and representation are critical to shaping vibrant, sustainable, and inclusive urban spaces.

CONTACT

513-816-2779

spurloas@mail.uc.edu

1430 Alexander Drive, Hamilton, OH 45013

EDUCATION

University of Cincinnati April 2026 Cincinnati, OH

Bachelor of Urban Planning

Hamilton High School May 2021 Hamilton, OH

Top 10, Student Body President

AWARDS

Deans List

University of Cincinnati Fall 2022 - Present

Magna Cum Laude Hamilton High School Spring 2021

SKILLS

• Adobe Creative Suite

• ArcGIS Pro, Storymaps, and Experience Builder

• Rhino

• SketchUp

• QGIS

• Microsoft 365

• Wordpress

EXPERIENCE

Planning NEXT , Planning Co-op Columbus, OH (August 2024 - December 2024)

· Utilize ArcGIS Pro and Adobe Creative Suite to analyze existing conditions and develop maps for public engagement and plan documents.

· Conduct and compile research on state regulations regarding comprehensive planning in all fifty states.

· Design and create engagement materials to foster community input on comprehensive plan topics.

· Produce communication and outreach materials to promote engagement events.

ZoneCo, Zoning and Graphics Co-op Cincinnati, OH (January 2024 - July 2024)

· Developed regulatory graphics to enhance public understanding of Zoning Codes.

· Revised Zoning language to ensure accessibility for the general public.

· Designed and formatted Zoning Codes, diagnostic reports, and marketing materials.

· Researched regulations related to setbacks, building form, and land use.

· Organized and facilitated community engagement events.

ArtWorks Cincinnati, Civic Studio Artist Cincinnati, OH (December 2022 - January 2024)

· Organized and led community engagement events incorporating artistic activities to gather public opinions on Cincinnati monuments.

· Researched and cataloged existing Cincinnati monuments into a comprehensive database for landscape trend analysis.

· Utilized ArcGIS and Experience Builder to create an interactive Cincinnati Monument Audit.

· Compiled findings into a report to inform the development of future Cincinnati monuments.

City of Hamilton, Planning Intern Hamilton, OH (May 2023 - August 2023)

· Attended public meetings on city-wide issues, including zoning changes, parking permits, and short-term rental regulations.

· Conducted pre-meeting research to create informative sheets and community surveys on relevant topics.

· Assisted in research projects for the Architectural Design Review Board.

Planning NEXT Co-op | Fall 2024

Mill Creek Greenway

Second Year Planning Studio | Summer 2024

Regulatory Graphics

ZoneCo Co-op | Spring 2024

New Monuments Initiative

ArtWorks Civic Studio | 2023-24

Adobe Creative Suite Digital Graphics

ArcGIS Pro and Adobe Creative Suite Mapping

Community Engagement

Planning NEXT Co-op | Fall 2024

As part of my co-op with Planning NEXT, I contributed to a community engagement initiative for a project focusing on an area southeast of Delaware, Ohio, soon to be annexed into the city.

SOUTHEAST SUB-AREAS

City of Delaware, Southeast Focus Area

Parks

Waterways

Buildings

Parcels

City of Delaware Boundary

Southeast Focus Area Boundary

Railway

Conceptual Glenn Road Connection

Electrical Transmission Line

Existing Railway Crossing

New/Updated Railway Crossing

Area From Which Utilities Could be Extended

WELCOME

This workshop is an opportunity to learn about the Delaware Southeast Focus Area Plan, provide feedback, and speak with team members at your own pace.

Worksheet

Public Workshop • October 24, 2024 • 6:30-8:00 pm

Public Workshop 10/24/2024

ORIENTATION

These pages are from the engagement packet given to all participants at the in-person workshop.

FOCUS

1. What development types belong in each subarea?

A short introductory presentation will provide an overview of the Delaware Southeast Focus Area Plan’s purpose, importance, and intention.

REVIEW THE DISPLAY BOARDS

Please review the material on the display boards, including the Guiding Principles, Context Map, Existing Land Use Map, Subareas Map / Purpose Statements, and development type examples.

SHARE YOUR COMMENTS

Use the attached worksheet to provide feedback on the Sub-areas Map. Share your thoughts on the development type example boards using the blue dots and post-its. The worksheet can also be used to share other comments about the planning area. If you have a question, please ask City Staff or a team member!

4 FOLLOW THE PROCESS

Take the online survey and look for updates on the Delaware Southeast Focus Area Plan process at DelawareOHFocusAreas.org Tell others they can provide their thoughts through the online survey, which will include maps from the display boards used in tonight’s workshop. SOUTHEAST FOCUS AREA PLAN

4: 3. If you have any additional comments about the Southeast Focus Area, please share them

PLAN (You may mark up your individual map, if helpful!)

Exit Questionare

2. What is

3. What is your age?

4. Which racial group do you most closely identify with?

5. Are you Hispanic or Latino? Yes No

6. Where do you live? City of Delaware Delaware Township Berlin Township Liberty Township Brown Township Other:

For the first round of engagement, I played a key role in creating materials designed to gather meaningful input from residents and stakeholders. This included a packet of individual activities, interactive engagement boards for in-person events, and an online survey to ensure broad accessibility. These tools helped spark dialogue and collect diverse perspectives, forming the foundation for future planning in the annexed area.

Southeast Area Development Types

The “board” to the left was used at the in-person workshop to gather public reactions to a variety of development types. The two screenshots above are of the online survey created using a combination of the word-press website builder and formidable survey creator.

Mill Creek Greenway

Second Planning Year Studio | Summer 2024

The Cincinnati Industrial Corridor—spanning Queensgate, Camp Washington, and the West End—presents a stark contrast between industry and public life. As part of my second-year summer studio, an intensive six-week sprint course structured like a design competition, I explored the environmental consequences of industrial development and its impact on urban life.

A key issue in the corridor is the near-total absence of tree coverage, a direct result of its industrial past. This lack of vegetation, combined with vast expanses of impervious surfaces, has created severe urban heat island effects and contributed to excessive carbon emissions. These conditions correlate with a high prevalence of health concerns in the area, including severe asthma, obesity, and poor mental and physical well-being.

To the left, the map on top represents areas designated as “Heat Severity Zones” in red, taking up almost the entirety of the study area. The map on the bottom represents significant carbon emissions in gray centered around large producers such as the industry, railway, and I-75.

To address these challenges, our group developed a transect model to our variety of focus areas and guide interventions across the corridor. Above is the environmental strategies framework map, which I mapped using Google Earth and Adobe Illustrator. Building on this framework, I designed the Mill Creek Greenway Park, a linear green space with multiuse trails and improved sidewalks, linking the corridor to the Lick Run Greenway. A before-and-after visualization illustrates its potential to restore connectivity and resilience.

Regulatory Graphics

ZoneCo Co-op | Spring 2024

Zoning codes are critical public documents, but their language and complexity often make them inaccessible to the communities they serve. ZoneCo LLC bridges this gap by crafting clear, user-friendly, and equitable zoning codes, leveraging tools like regulatory graphics to clarify complex regulations and foster public engagement.

Side Yard Setback

Rear Yard Setback

Front Yard Setback

Side Yard Setback

PIKE with a purpose

This activity focuses on the physical character of developments in the study area. Below are some design elements that can be regulated through zoning. Place any color dot on the arrows to signify your preference for each regulation.

Regulatory graphics at ZoneCO fall into two categories: Regulatory—simple, informative diagrams that explain technical concepts, and Illustrative—visuals that enhance aesthetic appeal and reflect a community’s character. Occasionally, these approaches merge to create detailed, visually rich, and educational graphics.

The pages to the left, from Twinsburg, Ohio’s zoning code draft, and the larger “board” for a community engagement activity, feature regulatory graphics I designed to enhance clarity and accessibility.

One notable project I contributed to was Palm Beach, Florida’s zoning code update. The town was interested in preserving it’s unique architectural character which required detailed, stylized graphics. Utilizing SketchUp, I created precise 3D models, guided by initial sketches that defined the layout, building design, annotations, and perspectives. These visuals brought the regulation to life, ensuring alignment with the town’s distinct identity.

The sketch and graphic above depict the regulation: “One- and two-story building roofs may be hipped or gabled. Three-story buildings must have a flat roof.”

The sketch and graphic above illustrate the regulation: “A third story must be set back at least halfway from the front to the rear of the building. The remaining third-floor roof area shall be used exclusively for residential living purposes.”

New Monuments Initiative

ArtWorks Civic Studio | 2023-24

Urban planning often focuses on physical infrastructure and policy challenges, but the role of art and design in shaping community identity is just as vital. Unfortunately, many cities overlook the importance of representation in public spaces, particularly for minority communities.

As part of ArtWorks’ inaugural Civic Studio, I joined a year-long effort to reimagine Cincinnati’s monumental landscape. Our team of ten artists analyzed existing monuments and engaged underserved communities to explore how new monuments could better reflect the city’s diverse culture and history. Through arts-based research methods, we designed and executed community engagement events, ultimately compiling our findings into a comprehensive report.

My primary roles included auditing the city’s current monuments and leading engagement planning. Designing creative, impactful activities became a specialty of mine, blending fun with meaningful dialogue. At an event with Queens Village celebrating Black women and mothers, we invited participants to write dedications to “monumental women” on paper, then transform these into paper flowers. Attendees left with a watering-can card and native Ohio wildflower seeds—a symbolic reminder of growth and remembrance.

Over the course of the initiative, I led four events, collaborated on planning ten others, and contributed to engagement activities used across nearly all events. This experience deepened my understanding of how art can address representation and foster connection within communities.

The spreads to the left are from the engagement report, summarizing the Little Amal and Blossoms and Blooms events. The additional photos capture key moments from each event.

The image above is a screenshot of the interactive map included in the Cincinnati Monument Audit webpage. Click the screenshot to the right to check out the site!

Inspired by the National Monument Audit by Monument Lab, our Civic Studio team conducted a localized audit to fill gaps in Cincinnati’s coverage. Unlike broad national data, we aimed to capture lesser-known monuments that might otherwise go unnoticed, highlighting the importance of grassroots efforts in documenting public spaces.

To make this data accessible, I used my GIS skills to take the project further. As a team, we logged each monument into a spreadsheet, recording key details such as name, alternative names, inscriptions, descriptions, location coordinates, neighborhoods, creators, sponsors, and more. Once completed, I transferred this data into ArcGIS to create an interactive map with integrated monument information.

The image above is a screenshot of the monument gallery, with blown up examples of the front and back of a monument image. When you hover over an image on the site, it will flip to reveal the description.

Using ESRI’s Experience Builder, I designed a public-facing webpage featuring the map, optimized for both desktop and mobile use. A dedicated monument gallery page showcases collected images, complete with names, addresses, and descriptions. This platform ensures that Cincinnati’s monumental history is easily accessible to all.

Digital Graphics

Adobe Creative Suite

I frequently use Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, along with other Creative Suite applications, to design compelling graphics that enhance my projects.

The three graphics to the right are from a neighborhood study of Walnut Hills. The first is a collaged photo map created in Photoshop, incorporating images I took during a site visit. The second is a SWOT analysis map made in Illustrator, identifying the neighborhood’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The third is a population density map, also designed in Illustrator, offering a clear visualization of demographic data.

ArcGIS Pro and Adobe Creative Suite Mapping

The top two maps are from a study of Center City, Philadelphia. They use a mask layer to highlight information within the Center City boundaries while keeping the surrounding context subtly visible underneath.

The map on the bottom left was created during my co-op at Planning NEXT for Centerville, Ohio’s comprehensive plan. It visually represents key opportunities for the city, based on a group brainstorming session. Starting with a sketch (bottom right) from the session, I used ArcGIS Pro to develop the basemap and Illustrator to replicate and refine the design into a polished, professional map.

These maps demonstrate my ability to merge analytical data with design techniques, making complex information accessible and visually engaging for a range of audiences.