About Builtfully
What creates purpose and inspiration in the world around us? My personal and professional confirms the importance of good universal design in our live, work, and play places. Since I started my Katherine O Creative Community, LLC, which has evolved into 'Builtfully,' back in 2015, I have found a sense of fulfillment in making places better for all. My goal is to inspire others with sustainable, beautiful, affordable, and accessible design techniques to address current challenges. The purpose of 'Be Builtfully' is to examine and experience beautifully built environments around us on various scales, from natural to specific design elements to buildings to communities to cities and beyond.
Katherine O'Neil
Founder of Builtfully®
I am passionate about making places better for all. I am a placemaking consultant, designer, writer, photographer, and community event planner, specializing in urban design & city planning. My experience has given me a wide range of professional and personal expertise over the last ten years. I believe the built environment around us impacts our lives in various ways!
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I own Katherine O Creative Community, LLC. It operates Builtfully through this website BeBuiltfully.com. Builtfully's mission is to explore the benefits of beautifully built environments. Its business purpose is to create enjoyment from art and aesthetics, inspire creative ideas, and share knowledge through experience and expertise with holistic and universal design recommendations on making better places for all. Builtfully focuses on placemaking, planning, design, and travel through consultations, ideations, project management, community engagements, writings, and photography. Check out all of Builtfully's services here. Read more about what Builtfully stands for and how it started in the blog post here.
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Through consultations, community, and content, I lead creative community engagements and advise on town planning initiatives. I am a Design Committee member for the Beverly Main Streets non-profit in Greater Boston and Chair of the Beverly Creative Connection event series.
I recently held the position of Vice President and Interim President at the University of Minnesota's Goldstein Museum of Design Advisory Board. My responsibilities included co-leading a national Facing Change diversity initiative and community events to fundraise and create awareness for the museum.
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I hold a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Minnesota with a degree in Housing Studies, a concentration in Community Development & Policy, and a minor in Communication Studies. In the United Kingdom in 2019, I completed a Master's of Science degree in Urban Design and City Planning at the University College London's Bartlett School of Planning. When I attended The Bartlett, the QS World University Rankings named it the first in the world. My dissertation on 'tactical urbanism' and 'meanwhile use' was focused on London's homelessness and was awarded academic honors. I am writing a memoir about my year abroad through vignettes, photography, travel tips, and poetry.
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I am a native of Minneapolis and now residing in the Greater Boston area; I have also lived and studied in London, Sydney, and Stockholm. My travels have brought me to 30 countries worldwide. I look forward to traveling to my 31st country one day!
My husband and Westie dog are my adventure travel partners. My enjoyments include hiking in nature, checking out new exhibits at museums, touring homes, learning about history, enjoying a craft beer at a brewery with friends and family, and last but not least, traveling the world.
My inspirations include capturing the beauty around me with my camera, wandering in new places, meeting people from various cultures, researching local and global placemaking case studies, and learning from all the greats along the way.
Come along and travel on this path with me! Be Builtfully!
