An urban designer experienced in developing community visions and what shapes the shared public realm for equitable, beautiful, and environmentally responsible walkable places

A native Californian, Caroline Cochran is a valued contributor to a variety of Opticos’ urban design and planning projects. In all her project work, she seeks to shape a shared public realm that is equitable, beautiful, and environmentally responsible. She is committed to designing walkable places that provide for the needs of diverse user groups, ensuring longevity in evolving communities.

Since Caroline joined Opticos, she has become an integral member of the team working on many projects, including the Walkable Winton Town Center Plan in Merced County, the Blackstone-Shaw Activity Center in the City of Fresno, the Downtown Davis Specific Plan, and the Modesto Downtown Master Plan. She has significant experience working on charrette with local residents to develop a shared vision for the future and implement that vision through design guidance, policy, and regulatory tools.

After obtaining her undergraduate degree from Yale, Caroline pursued and obtained an M.Arch and Master of Architectural Design and Urbanism from the University of Notre Dame, where she honed her skills at designing spaces in the urbanist tradition. In her professional career, she continues to develop her expertise in place-based design sensitive to local physical and cultural context.

When she steps away from her drafting table, Caroline can be found in the great outdoors—either behind an easel on a plein air landscape painting excursion, or backpacking a new trail in the Sierra Nevada.