Core to Shore Planning Team: Russell Claus
Oklahoma City Planning Department

Russell Claus holds a Masters in City Planning (MIT 1994) and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies from Griffith University (Brisbane, Australia). Russell has worked for the City of Oklahoma City since 1996. He currently manages the Urban Redevelopment Division with the Oklahoma City Planning Department. The Division is focused on facilitating redevelopment within downtown and the inner city. He is currently managing several major planning studies and programs that will lay the groundwork for the next phase of downtown development. These include the I-40 planning area (Core to Shore), downtown streetscape master plan, the Medical Business District in Midtown, and the Health Science Center expansion area. Russell has worked on numerous large scale, large impact planning projects during his career. Russell currently serves as the project manager for the I-40 project.

The Urban Redevelopment Division also addresses Brownfield redevelopment, the Empowerment Zone, and projects driven by various EPA and HUD grants, including the American Indian Cultural Center. Russell started his career in Oklahoma overseeing recovery efforts in the area affected by the 1995 Murrah Building bombing. Prior to emigrating to the U.S. from Australia in 1992, Russell worked for the Queensland National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Brisbane City Council. Prior to moving to Oklahoma, Russell worked for the Nature Conservancy in New York, and for Pierce County Planning in Washington State.