Good planning begins with truly understanding the DNA of a place. That means looking closely at the campus or environmental context itself, while also paying attention to the surrounding community, the people who experience it every day, and the forces that will shape its future.

For Scott Miller, principal and leader of Hanbury’s planning practice, that perspective has been shaped by a lifelong curiosity about places and why some stay with us. Since joining Hanbury in 2009, Scott has led planning efforts for colleges and universities across the country. His background in international studies and architecture, along with experiences living and working in a mix of environments, continues to shape how he approaches this work.

What first drew you to architecture and planning?

I grew up in a fairly typical Baltimore suburb and was often struck by how different I felt when I visited other natural or urban environments. I became curious about what created those emotional connections and why certain places resonated with me. Eventually I thought it would be pretty cool to help create places that could have that kind of effect on other people. And then there was The Jetsons. I loved imagining buildings of the future and started drawing my own futuristic houses when I was pretty young.

How did your undergraduate degree in international studies shape the way you think about design?

International studies taught me to think about the connections between political, economic, cultural, and social issues. Later, studying architecture at the University of Maryland, I was exposed to a strong emphasis on urbanism that felt like a natural extension of that thinking. That’s probably part of why I’ve always been drawn to the broader connections involved in planning. I want to understand what is happening beyond the boundaries of a campus and how the surrounding community and institution influence one another.

How does that translate into your approach to planning?

At Hanbury, we talk about an “outside-in/inside-out” approach, and that resonates with me. We look outward to understand the larger context affecting a campus, while also looking closely at individual programs and how spaces can create a better experience for people. I’m interested in how we experience places by moving through them and around them, so I think a lot about the journey through a campus and how one space connects to another. The spaces in between are just as important as the destinations.

You’ve lived and worked in a lot of different places. How has that influenced you?

I’ve lived in five states as an adult, and I spent an important part of my career living in London and working in the Lloyd’s of London building. Travel has also given me a chance to experience places that work very differently from one another. That has reinforced for me the importance of context. There’s a lot to learn from simply experiencing a place, watching how people use it, and getting a sense of what makes it distinctive. I try to bring that curiosity to every new campus and community.

What projects have felt most meaningful to you?

The University of Arizona Campus Master Plan stands out because it was the first master plan I led from beginning to end, and it has gone on to have a transformational impact on the campus. More recently, I’m proud of our work with UNC Wilmington and Binghamton University. 

In all of my work, I think a successful plan gives an institution a framework for making good decisions over time. Campuses are always changing, so a plan needs to provide direction while leaving room for circumstances to evolve. You should be able to look at it years later and still recognize the ideas that mattered, even if individual projects have changed.

What excites you about where planning and design are headed?

I’m encouraged by how sustainability tools, materials, and building systems that once felt specialized are becoming more mainstream. That creates meaningful opportunities for change across a campus or community. I’m interested in what’s happening in suburban environments too, and in the next generation of urban revitalization. Visualization is changing quickly, with AI and video giving us new ways to explore ideas and communicate them. There’s a lot still to learn, which is part of what keeps the work interesting.

What impact do you hope to have?

I’d like to help our clients make measurable progress on sustainability at the campus and urban scale. I also want to help prepare the next generation to continue this progress through mentoring. And increasingly, I’d like to have more of an impact locally and see the effects of our work in the communities around us.

One thing you can't live without

Coffee. And increasingly, sleep. There’s no connection between the two, of course.

What do you enjoy when you’re not working?

I’m a recovering sports dad. I miss coaching and playing sports with my kids, and these days tennis has increasingly become pickleball. Skiing and sailing are probably my favorite things to do, and I really enjoy landscaping and gardening too. There’s something zen-like about these activities. They require you to pay attention to your surroundings and be present, which probably has something to do with what I enjoy about planning.