YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Hunter Morrison, an influential urban planner who left a lasting mark on both Youngstown and Cleveland, has died at age 78, according to close family friends.
He died at his home in Silver Spring, Md., on Tuesday morning, the sources said.
Morrison came to Youngstown in 2000 as the director of the Center for Urban and Regional Studies at Youngstown State University under then President David Sweet. His role included developing ways to better integrate YSU’s campus into downtown and other parts of the community.
He also worked as a planning consultant for the city of Youngstown, and more recently served as a consultant to the Western Reserve Port Authority and the Economic Action Group.
“He wrote the book on a lot of stuff we’re looking to implement these days,” said Nick Chretien, executive director of EAG. “He was awesome.”
Chretien said Morrison’s experience as planning director for the city of Cleveland proved invaluable to Youngstown and its revitalization efforts.
Morrison served as Cleveland’s planning director from 1980 to 2000, helping to guide development of high-profile projects that redefined the city. These include the Gateway sports district, the revival of Playhouse Square, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Ohio City and the health industry corridor.
“There was usually an example that he could pull from with a story that was always fascinating to hear,” Chretien said. “He was helping our young team refine our downtown plan that we’re working on now.”
Morrison, a Cleveland native, earned his bachelor’s degree from Yale University and his master’s degree in urban planning from Harvard University. He also served in the Peace Corps during the early 1970s, serving in Nairobi, Kenya and eastern Nigeria as a town planner.
Pictured at top: Hunter Morrison.