Mr. Claiborne is well-versed in current planning and urban design issues and has taught a number of times as a guest lecturer at the UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design. Through his teaching experience and his many projects that have demanded extensive citizen participation as part of the planning and design process, Mr. Claiborne has developed a reputation as being very effective in working with special interest groups and in making public presentations.

He has worked in both large and small urban design firms in San Francisco. For several years, he was part of the architectural staff for the City of San Jose Redevelopment Agency and, in that role, participated in the planning, design review, and administration of many of the large scale downtown projects that have now been constructed. He began his solo urban design practice with the Alameda County Community Development Agency and has worked with County Staff on a number of plans and projects, most of which are focused on the western, urbanized portion of Alameda County. In a similar capacity, he worked under contract for the City of Fremont in developing infill development guidelines for the Mission San Jose District.

Over the past decade, the range and diversity of projects has increased, both with public and private sector projects. Several have been concerned with improved access to transit. The largest project that the office has done to date addresses the reuse of the Mare Island Naval Base in the city of Vallejo. The As the planning consultant to the Master Developer, Mr. Claiborne has worked with a team of professionals to provide a reuse and preservation plan for existing buildings and landscape features of the former naval base, many of which are National Register designated cultural resources. References and rates available upon request.