Robin Shifflet initially attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo as a bio-science major, but after nearly blowing up the chemistry lab, she realized it was not her calling. Taking an inventory of her interests (history, architecture, art and horticulture), she changed her major to landscape architecture, graduating in 1982 with honors.
She landed an apprenticeship with landscape architects Wimmer, Yamada & Associates (now Wimmer, Yamada & Caughey) and obtained her landscape architecture California state license in 1987. She formed her own firm in 1992 and then went to work as a landscape planner for the city of San Diego in 1995.
Working for the city attracted her because, “In public practice you make land-use policies for outdoor spaces that are enjoyed by a wide variety of users.”
Now, Shifflet heads up the planning effort for the city of San Diego’s Parks Master Plan. As the manager for the Park Planning section of the city’s Planning Department, she is working with the city’s consultant, AECOM, on a three-year citywide planning effort to shape the future of parks, recreation facilities and programs. The city’s last parks master plan was written in the late 1940s and only contained maps of parks the city managed.
“Working in the public realm requires patience and the understanding that the public policy takes time to develop and implement. It is important to be a good listener and to be able to find a compromise among various stakeholders,” she said.
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https://sandiegodowntownnews.com/working-in-the-public-realm/
