Community Engagement

More than a standalone service, community engagement is an essential component of our approach to community planning and design. Our team possess deep experience in meeting facilitation and the coordination of steering committees. We recognize that every neighborhood is different. We capture the voices of residents, visitors, and business owners through stakeholder interviews, neighborhood meetings, pop-up engagement at community events, public workshops, design charrettes, surveys, and branded project websites. We understand that effective engagement requires creativity, including interactive options, gamification, and informational workshops.

 

Development Review

We have 7 active development review clients, supported by our team of 13 planners with more than 200 years of collective experience. Our breadth and depth of experience in traditional planning services, combined with extensive public sector experience,  have prepared us to serve as extension of staff for our local government clients.

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Urban Design

Good urban design reflects an understanding of the relationship between people, buildings, infrastructure and public spaces. Our designers, planners, landscape architects and graphic artists collaborate to develop clear and compelling plans. We utilize the latest 3D visualization tools to demonstrate how walkable neighborhoods, districts and corridors improve communities.

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Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Spatial analysis is critical in developing an understanding of a community and creating compelling and data-rich visuals. Our GIS team is highly proficient in the latest ESRI ArcGIS products that we utilize to perform complex data-driven analyses to enhance our clients' projects.

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Graphic Design

Effective visual communication of complex planning and design concepts is essential to our clients. Our team of graphic designers and planners have extensive experience in collaborating to develop clear and compelling infographics and other data visualization exhibits. Beyond aesthetics, the thoughtful and persuasive presentation of data, ideas, policies, and design is fundamental to implementation.

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Website Design

Community planning in the 21st century requires a virtual presence for communication. Our team of graphic designers and planners collaborate with clients to develop interactive project websites. Expensive and elaborate custom websites are not necessary. Our team can customize user-friendly platforms for project websites that include surveys, interactive mapping, imbedded video and multiple before/after visualization tools.

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Video Production

Our creative team knows video is a powerful communication tool. We leverage our design talent to compose captivating videos for a variety of uses. We offer motion graphics, fly-through Lumion videos, copywriting, and more to help visually articulate project information and proposed concepts. 

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3D Visualization

The advent of 3D and visualization tools is perhaps the most significant advancement in planning and design over the last quarter century. Effective communication is part of our job and the ability to advance design into realistic models and videos provides us with a common language to present concepts to the community and elected officials. The technology in this space is improving exponentially. We stay on the front end of these trends and strive for continual improvement.

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Wayfinding & Signage

Our creative team of graphic designers and landscape architects collaborate to develop signage systems and gateways that not only communicate key information, but also are visually stunning. Our signage capabilities include design intent drawings and cost estimates to advance these concepts through construction.

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Historic Preservation

Authenticity is a core component of Placemaking. In order to retain community character, historic structures must be preserved. Our team has extensive experience in Historic Preservation, including working with Certified Local Governments, conducting surveys, producing site files, establishing local historic districts, developing design standards for historic districts, reviewing Certificates of Appropriateness, and serving as the Historic Preservation Officer for municipalities.

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Economic Development

Our staff members have led successful economic development departments in the public sector and bring that experience and expertise to our clients. We have recruited and secured high-wage businesses, fostered local entrepreneurship, developed incentive programs, negotiated incentive packages, and prepared economic development strategic plans.