Paul Parkhill has worked in the fields of community development and planning since 1994. Between 2018 and 2023, he oversaw the development and construction of Powerhouse Arts, a 170,000 square foot artist fabrication center in Gowanus, Brooklyn. Prior to founding PPD, Paul served for five years as the founding Executive Director of Spaceworks NYC, a city-initiated nonprofit organization that developed and managed affordable long-term work spaces for visual and performing artists in NYC. Between 1999 and 2012, Paul served as the Director of Planning and Development at the Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center, a nonprofit that has redeveloped more than 700,000 square feet of space for industrial, artisanal and arts-related businesses. And between 1994 and 1999, Paul worked as a housing developer for Common Ground Community, a supportive housing provider.
Paul co-founded Place in History, a public art collaborative, in 1997, and currently sits on the board of The Seafoam Palace of Arts and Amusements in Detroit. He also serves on the New Markets Tax Credit Community Advisory Board of the United Fund Advisors/National Community Fund in Portland, Oregon. He has worked on consulting projects across the United States.
Paul holds a BA from Brown University and a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning from Columbia University.