Our TEam

Ben Hitchings, FAICP, CZO, is the Principal of Green Heron Planning, LLC and a Fellow at the UNC School of Government. He has more than 30 years of experience working on planning issues, and has developed award-winning community plans and professional publications. 

A past President of the North Carolina Chapter of the American Planning Association, Ben served as Planning Director for the Town of Chapel Hill, NC, Planning Director for the Town of Morrisville, NC, and Land Use Program Manager for the Triangle J Council of Governments. 

Ben is a past Chair of the APA Chapter Presidents Council, and serves on the APA National Board of Directors.

He holds a B.A. from Amherst College and a master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

In 2016, Ben received the Philip R. Green Award for Distinguished Chapter Service from the N.C. Chapter of the American Planning Association.

In 2018, he was inducted into the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Certified Planners.

PARTNERSHIPS: With planning contacts throughout North Carolina and across the country, Green Heron partners with leading planning professionals as needed to assemble the right team for your project.