About Me

I am president of ArchPlan Inc., an architecture and urban design firm in Baltimore specializing in award winning community revitalization, adaptive re-use, historic preservation and transportation projects since 1992. But I love to write and have connected the love of the word with my professional experience after early journalism as a freelance writer for a local newspaper, the high-school newspaper and being editor of a political newsletter. (All in Germany)

Since coming to the US in 1986, I was named a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects for using my profession to assist communities through advocacy. For the same reason I am recipient of the Baltimore Larry Reich Award which is given for a special commitment to community-based planning and design. I write on urban issues on my blogs “Community Architect” and “Community Architect Daily. I also authored “Baltimore: Reinventing the Industrial Legacy City”, published by Routledge. My articles have been published in The Atlantic’s CityLab, ArchDaily, SmartcitiesDive and other publications. 

My engagement in the community is visible to various activities over the years: Past chair the housing subcommittee of the Social Determinants of Health Task Force established under Maryland law, board president of a urban land trust (current), founding board member of the 1000 Friends of Maryland, a well-respected statewide growth management group and D center, a non-profit design center in Baltimore; past chair of the Urban Design Committee of AIA Baltimore for 20 years chairing the national Regional and Urban Design Committee of AIA (RUDC); I have participated in a number of Advisory Panels dispatched by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) across the US. I was for ten years a member of the Maryland Growth Commission, Subcommittee on Planning Techniques and for 10 years a member of a Borough Council in Stuttgart, my initial experience at the intersection of practical engagement and professional knowledge. 

Philipsen received a five year degree of architecture at the University of Stuttgart, Germany in 1975. He has also worked as an architect and planner in Stuttgart, Germany and London, England and resides in the US since 1986. He has taught architecture and urban design as adjunct faculty at the University of Maryland and at Morgan State University, is a frequent speaker at international, national, regional and local conventions and venues and is an occasional contributor on local radio regarding urban design. Philipsen is married to Nayna Philipsen, JD, PhD, RN, Professor and recently retired Director of Academic Affairs Coppin State University; the couple has six adult children.

I am available for guest and freelance articles,  talks about urban design, planning and the environment as well as for design review of architectural and planning projects. 

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