We guide progress with an integrated, collaborative approach, anchored by those who live and work in the community.
Thriving communities begin with creative, realistic planning.
Good Earth Advisors is a woman-owned and operated consulting firm specializing in community planning, development services and public engagement. Inspired by the prospect of positive change, we see opportunity in each challenge—using planning as a pathway to progress.
Inspiring Change. Enriching Communities. Balancing Growth.
Good Earth Advisors is a woman-owned and operated consulting firm specializing in community planning, development services and public engagement. Inspired by the prospect of positive change, we see opportunity in each challenge—using planning as a pathway to progress.
Brownfields Redevelopment
It takes more than digging holes, installing wells and collecting data to unlock the hidden assets of contaminated properties.
Developer Services
Adding Good Earth Advisors to your development team right from the start can smooth your path to approvals.
Public Outreach
We are completely at ease working at multiple levels—from large facilitated forums to one-on-one confidential discussions—based on the unique composition of your community.
What We Do
Planning
- Revitalization Planning
- Community Planning
- Brownfields Redevelopment
- Placemaking
- Economic Development Strategies
- Developer Attraction/Public-Private Partnerships
- Land Use & Zoning Analyses
- Environmental Studies
- Impact Assessments
- Open Space & Recreation
- Grant & Funding Assistance
Development
- Confidential Site Searches
- Due Diligence
- Market Analyses
- Master Planning
- Consultant Selection/Team
- Management
- Permitting & Approvals
- Communications
- Presentations
Outreach
- Outreach Strategies
- Focus Groups
- Visioning
- Project Branding
- Capacity-building
- Stakeholder Interviews
- Focus Groups
- Community Forums
- Surveys
- Media Relations
- Collaterals & Graphics
About
After more than 25 years working for multidisciplinary consulting firms, Val Ferro started Good Earth Advisors in 2014 to offer highly personalized, hands-on consulting and advisory services primarily in the fields of planning, community development, real estate development and public outreach. The firm’s experience encompasses a range of settings—private and municipal, rural and urban, large undeveloped properties and contaminated multi-story buildings. Known for pushing beyond the boundaries of traditional thinking, the firm has successfully cross-pollinated planning with engineering, science, architecture, economics, art, social science and psychology to reflect the unique characteristics of each project and meet the diverse expectations of every client.
Good Earth Advisors has managed large teams of consultants, played major roles on projects led by others, and served as the go-to advisor for complicated projects requiring creativity and laser-focused analyses. The firm maintains strong relationships with a number of exceptional experts who can be brought in as part of the project team or quickly consulted at a moment’s notice.
The firm is certified by the Connecticut Department of Administrative Services as a woman-owned Small/Minority Business Enterprise.
Experience Portfolios
Meet Val Ferro
With the rare combination of technical/science experience and intangible people skills that foster cooperation and collaboration, Val is helping find new ways to use old things — historic buildings, downtowns, contaminated industrial buildings.
As a daughter of a builder with her own direct experience as a developer, she has a deep appreciation for those who are taking risks by investing in distressed communities, acquiring contaminated property, or finding creative new uses for old buildings. She understands the complexity of real estate deals and the demands of financial institutions and has done her best to bring the public and private sectors together to identify regenerative and restorative approaches to creating more livable communities.
Val has also put her skills to work for dozens of municipalities and regional agencies that have sought her advice on compatible growth, economic recovery, transit-oriented and transit-adjacent development, active transportation, and placemaking. She has a knack for honing in on things that can make a difference quickly, so the emphasis on prioritization, funding and implementation is quite apparent from the very beginning of each project. Since her work invariably involves formal and informal means of connecting with the public and affected stakeholders, she is completely at ease in large forums and has facilitated meetings involving contentious issues and diverse opinions. Unlike many firms that provide community engagement by simply recording what participants have to say, she is not afraid to air out differences while educating both sides on the benefit of finding common ground.
Regardless of what needs to be done or who needs help, Val delivers assistance with boundless energy and enthusiasm.