AP Sustainable Design is a sustainability research and planning consultancy helping communities, organizations, and public agencies understand complex sustainability challenges and turn research into practical solutions.
Our work connects research, community knowledge, planning, and spatial analysis to create more equitable, resilient, and environmentally responsible places.
Our Mission: Ensuring today’s needs do not jeopardize tomorrows
Our Goal: Create and influence sustainable spaces that will improve the qualify of life in communities while protecting the environment
What We Do
Services
Research and Education
Combining academic expertise with real-world application. We help communities and individuals take a deep dive into sustainable topics so everyone can understand them and use them
Agricultural preservation | Food Systems | Equitable Communities
Urban Planning
Great designs start with listening. We partner with the community to transform local aspirations into viable, built realities. Our designs and plans don’t just sit on paper…they get built
The Orange Line Way | Chicago IL | Southwest Side
Drone & GIS Mapping
We turn drone and GIS data into useable data to giving communities a clear picture of existing conditions. Our spatial analysis helps clients identify gaps, visualize patterns, and make evidence-based decisions.
Chatham Neighborhood | Chicago IL | Tree Canopy study
Case Studies
The Hall
Rain Barrel Guide
Wayfinding & District Branding
The Orange Line Way Trail
We developed this proposal to reimagine ad overlooked space in our home neighborhood on Chicago's Southwest Side. Beneath the CTA Orange Line, between Midway and Pulaski, an informal trail is used daily by families and students, but it lacks safe, accessible infrastructure.
This concept transforms the trail into a connected greenway that improves safety, encourages walking and biking, supports local ecology, and strengthens community connections.
Existing Site Conditions
Proposed Site Design
*Images are preliminary conceptual representations developed by the firm and are intended for illustrative purposes only*
Meet the Team
Let's Work Together
Armando Ponce
I’m a first-generation Mexican American urban planner and urban designer based in Chicago who enjoys helping ideas turn into real, buildable projects. With experience reviewing hundreds of permits, working directly with developers, and managing zoning and planning processes at the municipal level, I understand how cities actually work, not just how they’re designed on paper.
My approach is simple: listen first, keep things practical, and help clients navigate the process without the usual headaches. Whether it’s a small project or a larger development, I’ll focus on finding solutions that make sense for both people and place.
B.A. Urban Studies minor in Public Policy | University of Illinois at Chicago
M.A. Sustainable Urban Development | DePaul University
Jennifer Berrun
Jennifer Berrun is an urban development practitioner with a strong focus on housing justice and an equitable community planning. She has conducted nationwide community land trust (CLT) research and has contributed to advocacy efforts aimed at expanding CLT models throughout Chicago.
Her work with Next Level Society, a nonprofit serving youth on Chicago’s South Side, and the 40th Ward Office, supported youth-centered programming and community engagement efforts in the 40th Ward and focused on city budget research, policy analysis, and responding to constituents' needs.
She completed a graduate degree in Sustainable Urban Development at DePaul University, where she also earned a BA in Political Science.
Jennifer has a strong commitment to advancing sustainable, community-driven approaches to urban development and expanding access to affordable housing.