Meet our New Trails Planner
Posted September 21, 2022
There's no doubt that trails play a major role in Chester County, so it's important to make sure the planning behind them is well thought out and meets the needs of the county's residents and visitors. The Chester County Planning Commission's Multimodal Transportation Planning Division helps to make this happen, and we are very excited to welcome our new Trails Planner, Steve Buck!
Originally from northern Bucks County, Steve moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan shortly after graduating from Penn State in 2007 where he worked as a landscape architect for nearly 10 years. He recently moved back to PA and now resides in Exton with his wife, Casey, and their dog, Annie.
With his background in landscape architecture, the Trails Planner position caught Steve's eye as soon as he saw it. "Some of my favorite projects over the years involved the design and planning of trails and greenways, and this position seemed like a unique blend of my interests and past work experience," he noted. "An added bonus is getting to work in projects in the County where I live."
Aside from focusing on trails, Steve is excited to be a part of CCPC's Multimodal Transportation Planning Division and to work on various aspects of transportation planning throughout the county. "I also hope my professional background will allow me to contribute to other initiatives outside of the transportation realm," he said.
While Steve's favorite place in Chester County is downtown West Chester due to its scale, character, and charm, he also favors northern Michigan (specifically during the summer months), as it's filled with a mix of pristine lakes, forests, and quaint little towns — making it feel like a hidden gem that's not well known outside of the Midwest.
With sports being a big part in his life growing up, Steve enjoys watching games (college football season is his favorite) and despite living in Michigan, he's still a Philly sports fan through and through! He also enjoys traveling with his wife who often finds it funny when he scrutinizes the details of walls, pavements, and plantings (a true landscape architect), as well as cooking, playing ice hockey, and golfing.
In college, Steve studied in Rome for four months which is what ignited his passion for travel. "I'm a person who generally likes to have a plan for everything, but while travelling I like to explore without much of a plan and let the particular place reveal itself as I make my way through," he added.
During his spare time, Steve can typically be found doing something around the house or watching tv. On weekends however, he and his wife enjoy taking their dog to a local trail or park followed by dinner at a local restaurant.
When asked what his favorite quote is, Steve responded with a quote from the famous Rocky Balboa — "It ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward."
We look forward to working with Steve!