Design + Planning
for resilient communities, restoring Colorado’s lands, and empowering people, for now and future generations.
Elemental Design
Our creations today are the projects of our children. Let them be launchpads for dreams, places of treasured memory. The sweetness and sanctuary of life begins at home in the daily ritual of living.
Commercial Collaborations
Our commercial projects start as all our projects do with deep listening. Our goal is to translate your dreams into well loved space that creates space and place for your dreams, your ambitions and the goals of your business, your company, your institution and all those who cross your threshold to flourish and thrive.
Planning is Stewardship
We are all the links in the chain between the past and the future. It is not just our belief but our responsibility to be the stewards of the future for future generations and to leave things better than we found them. Stewardship is responsible planning and management of resources than not only is sustainable but regenerative. We make the choices today that impact the future tomorrow for our children and grandchildren and it is our duty to leave them a better world than the one we inherited.
We are builders, makers, artists, masters of craft.
Things built with human hands carry the history of learning and mastery of craft. Let us help you realize your next project, and translate your vision into reality
Fence Designed as part of Master plan for Colorado Wolf & Wildlife Sanctuary (Divide, CO)
About Electra Johnson Design + Planning (EJD+P)
At EJD+P, we believe that the problems of this century will not be solved by the same thinking that created them.Our work is rooted in big ideas, resourceful solutions, and the deep belief that we must dream beyond the conventional to create resilient, thriving communities for future generations.
Who We Are
Electra Johnson Design + Planning (EJD+P) is a woman-owned, multidisciplinary planning and design studio based in Colorado. We are dedicated to regenerative, community-driven solutions that restore landscapes, empower people, and build resilient futures for Colorado’s communities.
Founded in 2008 and reorganized in 2020, EJD+P is led by Electra Johnson, a Colorado native with deep rural roots and over 25 years of experience in architecture, planning, and community design. Her work spans from firewise residential architecture, schoolyards, public parks, and wildlife sanctuaries to downtown revitalization, strategic master plans, short-term rental policy frameworks, and economic development strategies.
Electra also serves as Executive Director of the Manitou Springs Urban Renewal Authority (MSURA), guiding reinvestment and revitalization in one of Colorado’s most historic communities, and provides technical support as an EPA Brownfields provider through Kansas State University and a DOLA Main Street Program consultant—helping rural towns secure funding and shape vibrant, self-reliant futures.
Our Vision
We envision a Colorado where communities, landscapes, and economies flourish in balance—where Main Streets hum with local enterprise and connection, homes are resilient and firewise, and landscapes once depleted are restored to sustain future generations.
Through the lens of planning and design practice, we integrate community voices, local trades, and traditional knowledge with global best practices to create solutions that are both deeply rooted and forward-looking. We believe that Colorado can lead by example—feeding itself, powering itself, and thriving in harmony with its people, land, and resources for generations to come.
Our Mission
To transform Colorado’s communities through regenerative planning and design—revitalizing places, restoring landscapes, and empowering people. We are committed to leaving things better than we found them—creating lasting frameworks of resilience where people, land, and economy thrive together.
Our Key Principles
Regeneration Over Sustainability
We go beyond doing less harm—we restore, renew, and strengthen the systems that sustain life.
Community Empowerment & Local Leadership
We center local voices, elevate rural communities, and build capacity through partnerships, cooperatives, and shared ownership models.
Integration of Local Knowledge & Global Best Practices
We combine Colorado’s heritage of resourcefulness with global innovations in circular economies, cooperative models, and climate-adaptive design.
Craft, Trades & Legacy
We honor the skill of building well, support local trades and unions, and create pathways for the next generation of makers and builders.
Environmental Stewardship as Infrastructure
We treat soils, forests, watersheds, and wildlife corridors as essential infrastructure for thriving communities and economies.
Resilience & Adaptation
We design for a changing world, embedding flexibility, safety, and climate-readiness into every project.
Deep Listening & Authentic Engagement
We engage communities with humility and respect, ensuring our solutions reflect their needs, values, and aspirations.
Legacy & Accountability to the Future
We plan and design with future generations in mind—leaving places and systems stronger than we found them.
Our Commitment to Colorado
Colorado’s future depends on resilient rural communities—places that can feed themselves, manage their resources, and thrive in balance with their landscapes. We help communities prepare for this future through water conservation, energy independence, local food systems, and regenerative planning, ensuring prosperity remains with those who create it.
At EJD+P, we recognize the choices we make today shape tomorrow. It is our duty to leave a better world for our children and grandchildren, and we are committed to building that future through thoughtful design, responsible stewardship, and creative solutions.
