“Chuck not only loves cities, but he is passionate about downtowns.”

“I am happy to recommend Chuck to help with downtown economic restructuring. ”

“Chuck, you are a great messenger for the idea that good design is economic development. It is gratifying to know that champions of good design like you are leading the efforts to revitalize America’s downtowns.”

“Chuck is exactly the kind of person cities need.”

“Chuck has a take-charge attitude and subtle-yet-confident approach that resulted in him being immediately embraced by our Board when we first engaged his services. Chuck is not only creative, he possesses the rare skill of being able to communicate his ideas and their associated benefits effectively, which in our case resulted in full buy-in from the Board and City Officials. Simply put, he gets results.”

“Chuck, I think it is great that you understand the connection between walkability, downtown revitalization and Smart Growth.”

“Chuck D’Aprix has an innate sense of economic development and what make a city or downtown work—and that is rare. He managed the economic development process while working closely with City planners. His ability to garner information from the public was unparalleled.”

“It has been my pleasure to work with Chuck and be the recipient of detailed yet common sense analysis that can be easily implemented in our downtown. He is great to work with and his follow up is helpful and he is always accessible.”

“Chuck is an engaging articulate and motivating speaker on downtown revitalization and cultivating entrepreneurship. Adept at delivering essential, easily understood economic development messages to inspire real change.”

“Chuck is an urban entrepreneurship doer.”

“Chuck, it is rare to have someone in your field of downtown revitalization understand the economics of parking—keep up the good work.”

“Chuck D’Aprix is a man of no small enthusiasms.”

“I’ve had the pleasure to work with Chuck on several projects and have found his consistent dedication to excellence and teamwork a critical part of our projects’ success. Chuck’s deep experience working with communities across the country, as well as his ability to think creatively in building successful local strategies that reflect unique contextual realities, has been an asset to our work.”

“Chuck D’Aprix is not tethered to the same old way of developing a local economy but is a man of new ideas and innovations—he understands the 21st Century economy.”

“Chuck understands well that economic development down the road will involve the softer, more intangible aspects—quality education, the arts, culture. He understands brick and mortar, but also quality of life as an economic engine.”

“My community had the great pleasure of working with Mr. D’Aprix through the AIA’s Design Assistance Team. We were instantly impressed with his extensive knowledge, professionalism and passion for revitalization. His involvement during out multi-day downtown charrette was critical to guiding us in the right direction, and we continued to rely on his analysis and resources long after his departure.”

“Chuck, your ability to link placemaking and economic development is to be applauded. Thank you.”

“Chuck shared stories and experiences from his long-tenured career in economic development and has continued to show interest in sharing information and resources with our great City. He has truly become a great asset and friend to the City of Niagara Falls, even from afar.”

“Chuck thought out of the box and delivered a plan for Colchester (VT) that makes economic sense, environmental sense and can get community buy-in.”

“Mr. D’Aprix helped shape the downtown comeback (Lowell, MA) working with economic development experts and consultants as well as National Park Service Officials. During his tenure, Lowell artists, businesses, municipal leaders, and citizens crafted the first comprehensive cultural development plan of any city in Massachusetts, with support of the state cultural council. By the early 1990’s Preservation Magazine named Lowell the premier example of “Rehabilitated Gritty Cities.” More than 300 buildings have now been restored to their original luster in the cradle of the American Industrial Revolution.”

“Mr. D’Aprix did some impressive work to get three commercial districts revitalized in Quincy. The bank-funded loan pool was a creative way to engage our commercial banks. It was a true public/private partnership and he understand how to co-opt resources from both sectors.”

“Chuck took hold of the economic development planning in Quincy and didn’t let go. The city’s economy began to tick again. I would like to see this type of work in more cities.”

“I had the pleasure of working with Chuck in Niagara Falls, NY in the winter of 2013. Chuck’s understanding of not just Main Street issues but of creative approaches to creating and financing more livable and vibrant cities makes him an asset to any project team. I ‘d recommend working with him, or at least getting him into your next conference to share some of his accrued wisdom.”

“Chuck is thought-leader and strong supporter of great planning in Virginia. He gave engaging and highly-rated presentations to American Planning Association Virginia (APA) members in the form of a webinar on economic development and a keynote speech on emerging trends in downtown revitalization during both the 2018 annual conference and the Lynchburg Symposium.”

“Chuck was part of our Downtown Conference in Montpelier, VT and also at the Summer Downtown Lake House Retreat. Chuck’s presentation received some of the highest praise by attendees and several communities followed up separately with Chuck because of the information he provided.”