We create transformative plans for public spaces to drive reinvestment in post-industrial cities.
Established in 2020, TREE is an interdisciplinary urban design and landscape architecture practice focused on public space planning, landscape infrastructure design, and urban framework development. The firm’s work centers on post-industrial cities facing challenges of depopulation and disinvestment where design can serve as a catalyst for renewed civic life. Working nationally, TREE applies a landscape urbanism approach across civic space, mobility networks, and ecological systems to help reconnect cities through public landscapes and infrastructure.
Through the design of connected public spaces and civic infrastructure, TREE seeks to support economic reinvestment, strengthen cultural identity, and attract future generations back to city centers. The firm focuses on translating complex civic challenges into actionable plans, visible public realm improvements, and implementable strategies that produce measurable community impact.
TREE collaborates closely with public agencies, private development partners, philanthropic organizations, and community stakeholders to align design, policy, funding, and implementation. Through public-private partnerships and sustained civic engagement, the firm works to advance ambitious yet attainable projects that improve quality of life and support urban resilience.
Travis Crabtree PLA, Partner
Travis Crabtree is a landscape architect, urban designer, and founding partner of TREE Urban Design + Landscape Architecture. His work focuses on the relationship between ecology, mobility, public space, and civic infrastructure, using landscape urbanism strategies to reconnect cities to their environmental systems and public realm.
As Principal at TREE, Travis leads the firm’s landscape architecture and urban design work across parks and trails, ecological infrastructure, downtown revitalization, riverfront planning, and regional connectivity initiatives. His approach emphasizes green and blue infrastructure, adaptive reuse, walkability, and landscape based strategies that strengthen environmental performance and everyday community life.
Ray Neilsen Partner
Ray Neilsen is an entrepreneur, developer, and philanthropist whose work focuses on advancing civic, environmental, and public space initiatives. As a Partner at TREE Urban Design + Landscape Architecture, Ray contributes strategic leadership, project development, philanthropy, and long term implementation support across the firm’s urban design and community development work.
Ray has played a significant role in advancing a range of public space, parks and trails, health, and civic revitalization projects throughout Jackson and the broader region. He serves on the boards of Jackson Heart Foundation and Great City Mississippi Foundation, helping support initiatives such as the Museum Trail connected to public health, recreation, ecological infrastructure, and quality of life investment.
Ansley Crabtree Designer
Ansley Crabtree develops visual communication, storytelling, and engagement strategies that support public space, environmental, and community development projects. Her work focuses on helping organizations communicate ideas, build support, and move projects from planning toward implementation.
She has worked on initiatives related to parks and trails, ecological infrastructure, civic engagement, downtown revitalization, and regional planning throughout Mississippi and the broader Southeast. Recent projects include Jackson Rising, Museum Trail, and the Pearl River Revitalization Project.