In this article, Eleanor Sharpe reflects on building a life and career on her own terms. Drawing on nearly three decades in architecture, urban planning, government, and academia, she shares her vision for what comes next, the role community has played in her journey, and why creating your dream life requires both bold ambition and the habits to make it happen.
The Dream Is Bigger Than One City
What is your dream life, and are you living it?
I have a dream life, and I am not living it quite yet. My dream is to be an international speaker on urban issues.
I have experience traveling to conferences, giving talks, serving on panels, and delivering lectures. I understand the landscape and what it takes, but I am not fully living that reality yet. I know I have a strong body of knowledge, and my public speaking is always well-received. In fact, the positive reactions I receive have validated that this is a dream worth pursuing. After I gave a presentation at a national conference, several people came up to me and suggested I start a podcast. I love to travel, so being able to visit other urban places, render professional advice, and share sought-after insights is my goal. I envision traveling to meet with the mayor of Copenhagen one month, ending up in Nairobi another month, and exploring the world with a unique perspective to add value to what local leaders are doing.
There is real value when an outside professional steps into a new place and identifies things that locals might miss because they are constantly immersed in the environment. Even locally, it is easy to get bogged down in the day-to-day.
My dream is to travel the world, experience local cultures, and take cooking classes along the way. I want to create a life on my own terms where I might have one travel engagement a month. Alongside that, I want to work from a light-filled home studio attached to my house by a walkway, where I can dabble back into architecture or other creative projects. I picture having more than one dog, hosting family for Sunday suppers, and building a welcoming home environment while my professional life stays seamlessly aligned with that vision.
Even Leaders Need a Place to Let Their Guard Down
How has community been a part of your journey to today?
I rely on several different communities. The urban planning and architecture community is relatively small, both locally in Philadelphia and globally.
One of the best communities I have been a part of stems from my time as the city planning director for Philadelphia. Through the Lincoln Land Institute, the American Planning Association, and Harvard, the Big City Planning Directors group convenes the planning directors of the 30 largest cities or regions twice a year. When you are at the top of the food chain as a leader, you are still human. You deal with annoyances and need support, yet you are the main anchor of support for everyone else. Meeting with this group functions like group therapy because we can vent, commiserate, support, and celebrate together in ways you simply cannot do with direct reports.
That group has been one of the best things to happen in my career. Even after leaving the role of planning director, you remain connected. Former directors are still invited to dinners, stay active in WhatsApp groups, and lean on each other for advice.
Locally, having taught for many years created a community of former students who have become valued colleagues. I also remain active in professional associations. Beyond formal groups, individual champions have celebrated me in rooms I was not even in, allowing me to grow in ways I could not have achieved on my own. Community has been tremendously helpful.
Success Is About Building the Life You Envision
How would you define success for yourself today?
At this stage, success for me means building that dream life I described. It is not about accumulating loads of money, though financial stability is nice, nor is it driven by material items. Success is the internal satisfaction of achieving what you set out to accomplish.
I believe everything you imagine is possible, and we often underestimate our own agency. The environment does not have to dictate your life; you can choose to rise above your circumstances to dream and execute those dreams. It is not about passive manifestation, like wishing for a million dollars while sitting back and waiting. It requires doing the actual work to realize your vision.
Motivation Fades, but Routine Keeps the Dream Moving
What habits allow you to reach that definition of success?
I am still refining my habits, but one I am actively working to cement is shifting away from relying on motivation. Gym routines are a great example of this principle: motivation ebbs and flows, so you have to rely on routine instead.
If I only act when I feel like doing something, I lose consistency. I do not always feel like going to the gym or attending a dance class, but if I do it consistently over time, I reap the health benefits. You have to develop a “just do it” mindset, regardless of whether it is raining, snowing, or sunny.
I am applying that same approach to structuring my dream life. I have already mapped out specific morning, lunchtime, and evening routines. While I have not fully implemented them every day, I know what needs to be done. I know that if I stick to these routines over the next year or two, I will be much further along. The dream is not deferred; it is coming.
Taking a Leap Requires Knowing There Is a Net Below
What holds women back from taking big, bold steps?
Many factors contribute to this hesitation. As an immigrant, part of it stems from not having the foundational safety net or societal security that an American-born, cisgender white male often experiences. The risks are inherently different when you make a leap.
If you fail, society does not always provide a safety net or offer second chances to women. Taking a leap requires making sure you have a net to catch you if things do not go as planned. If you leap, fail, and lose everything without a supportive environment, you are much less likely to launch yourself again.
I am my own financial provider and do not come from generational wealth, which makes me more cautious. People often tell me I would be fine because I am well-established, and while I recognize that intellectually, psychological safety and financial security remain critical to me. I will not make a major leap until I feel a genuine baseline of comfort and safety.
The Most Lasting Legacy May Be a Different Way of Thinking
What is the legacy you hope to leave behind?
I have realized over time that I do not think like the crowd. When I express my thoughts in a room, my perspectives are often distinct from others, yet they are consistently well-received.
My hope for my legacy is that my body of knowledge and unique perspective will be left behind for others to digest long after I am gone. Whether that takes the form of written works or stems from the global lectures and travels I undertake, I want my ways of thinking to continue resonating with people. Many people simply go along with the crowd, but I do not, and I hope that willingness to think differently becomes my lasting legacy.
Meet Eleanor Sharpe
As a trained architect and urban planner, Eleanor Sharpe has spent almost three decades getting to know cities from the inside out, working across local government, the private sector, and academia. She has led planning organizations, guided planning and development for one of America’s largest cities, advised elected officials on land use policy, taught the next generation of planners and architects, and built relationships with planning leaders across the United States and around the world.
As founder and principal of Sharpe Solutions Consulting: Cities, Places, and People, she does the quiet, essential work of connecting: communities to government, technical expertise to political decision-making, long-term vision to immediate action. She holds aspirations and realism together at once, always keeping sight of the people the work is ultimately for. Sharpe is also a dedicated public servant, currently serving as Chief of Planning in the Office of the President, Philadelphia City Council.
Habituelle is proud to partner with the Fitler Club on The Stories—a shared commitment to elevating the voices of women leaders and creating space for the conversations, connections, and stories that inspire meaningful change.
