Best Urban Planning Consulting Services in the USA

United States Urban Planning Consultants

Urban planning is central to how America’s cities evolve, balance growth, and sustain livability. From revitalizing downtowns to implementing equitable housing frameworks, urban planning consultancies play a pivotal role in shaping communities.

This article highlights standout urban planning consulting services in the USA, each selected for their proven frameworks, client-verified impact, and authentic leadership in the field.

Methodology: How We Chose These USA-based Urban Planning Consulting Services

To ensure authenticity, each provider was reviewed against specific, research-backed criteria:

🔍 Research-driven: Agencies with publicly verified frameworks, published results, or case studies.

🗣️ Client-reviewed: Real feedback and proven ROI in urban contexts.

📍 Location-based: U.S.-headquartered consultancies with leadership grounded in American planning contexts.

🌟 United States Urban Planning Consultants - Provider Spotlights

UrbanLens Planning LLC

What they do: UrbanLens Planning delivers community-focused planning, zoning, and land-use services. Their projects emphasize participatory design and sustainable growth.

Who they work with: Municipalities, neighborhood associations, private developers, and local governments.

Operating model: UrbanLens emphasizes hands-on, transparent engagement, leading workshops and community forums as an integral part of the planning process.

💡 Why they stand out:

🏙️ Recognized for participatory planning and inclusive stakeholder engagement.

📊 Guided zoning reforms and comprehensive plan updates with measurable outcomes.

🌍 Proven ability to balance economic growth with environmental and cultural preservation.

Robin Scholetzky, Principal of UrbanLens Planning

Robin is known for her community-first leadership style, specializing in zoning reform and inclusive planning. She has collaborated with cities on complex land-use updates, balancing political, regulatory, and resident perspectives. Robin’s career highlights include guiding multi-stakeholder projects where consensus-building was critical, and she is widely respected for her ability to translate policy into people-centered solutions.

Urban Planning Concepts

What they do: Urban Planning Concepts provides land use planning, entitlement processing, and municipal consulting. Their style is pragmatic, focusing on policy navigation and regulatory compliance.

Who they work with: Local governments, real estate developers, agricultural clients, and mixed-use project teams.

Operating model: UPC operates as a policy-to-project bridge, helping clients move from planning approvals to implementation with minimal delays.

💡 Why they stand out:

🏗️ Four decades of proven expertise navigating California’s unique land-use regulations.

📜 Trusted advisor to municipalities for zoning codes and General Plan compliance.

🤝 Respected mediator between developers and public sector agencies.

Laurie Tamura, AICP, Owner of Urban Planning Concepts

Laurie is an AICP-certified planner with over 35 years of experience in entitlement and municipal advising. She is known for her practical approach to regulatory challenges and has built long-term partnerships with city councils and regional governments. Laurie’s career includes overseeing complex entitlement processes, making her a go-to leader for both developers and agencies seeking efficiency and compliance.

Town Planning & Urban Design Collaborative, LLC

What they do: TPUDC offers urban design, master planning, and form-based code development. Their style integrates New Urbanism principles with actionable strategies.

Who they work with: Municipalities, universities, and private developers.

Operating model: Their team merges design and planning disciplines to deliver both visionary and technically grounded urban plans.

💡 Why they stand out:

🏘️ Nationally recognized leader in form-based code development.

📐 Strong design orientation blending architecture and urban planning.

🌱 Proven track record in creating sustainable, walkable communities.

W. Brian Wright, Owner of TPUDC

Brian is a CNU-accredited planner with expertise in downtown revitalization and New Urbanist frameworks. He has led transformative projects across the U.S., ensuring design excellence while advancing community-driven goals. Brian’s leadership is collaborative, rooted in bringing designers, planners, and residents together to create shared visions for livable cities.

APD Urban Planning & Management, LLC

What they do: APD focuses on housing policy, economic revitalization, and equitable development strategies. Their style combines policy expertise with grassroots engagement.

Who they work with: Federal agencies (HUD), state and local governments, and nonprofit organizations.

Operating model: APD applies a data-driven, equity-centered model, ensuring that redevelopment initiatives are backed by measurable outcomes and inclusive input.

💡 Why they stand out:

🏚️ Expertise in housing policy and neighborhood revitalization.

📊 Significant experience leading HUD-supported planning projects.

✍️ Demonstrated ability to align economic development with community priorities.

Jesse Wiles, Owner of APD Urban Planning

Jesse is widely recognized for his housing-focused planning leadership. Over his decades-long career, he has worked with cities on revitalizing distressed neighborhoods, particularly through federal grant programs. His leadership blends technical planning skills with a passion for equity and sustainable neighborhood growth.

URBAN PLACE CONSULTING GROUP, INC.

What they do: Urban Place Consulting delivers downtown management, BID formation, and economic development planning. Their style is action-oriented, focusing on implementation.

Who they work with: Business improvement districts, city governments, chambers of commerce, and community organizations.

Operating model: UPCG emphasizes operational follow-through, often staying involved beyond planning phases to ensure execution.

💡 Why they stand out:

💼 Specialists in creating and managing business improvement districts (BIDs).

🛠️ Focused on operational implementation, not just strategic documents.

🎯 Proven outcomes in measurable downtown revitalization projects.

Steve Gibson, President of Urban Place Consulting

Steve is a seasoned consultant with over 30 years of experience in economic revitalization. He is particularly known for his practical expertise in BID management, having helped multiple cities sustain long-term economic growth. Steve’s leadership emphasizes results, accountability, and ensuring revitalization plans move from strategy to tangible outcomes.

Uncommon Bridges

What they do: Uncommon Bridges is a collaborative consultancy offering equity-centered planning, racial justice frameworks, and civic engagement strategies. Their style is advocacy-driven and rooted in social equity.

Who they work with: Municipal governments, nonprofit organizations, advocacy groups, and community coalitions.

Operating model: They operate through a multi-partner model, combining political, advocacy, and community expertise to address systemic inequities in planning.

💡 Why they stand out:

🤝 Leadership team uniting policy, advocacy, and grassroots engagement.

🧩 Multi-disciplinary model bridging government, nonprofit, and resident perspectives.

🗣️ Effective facilitators of civic participation in contentious urban contexts.

Brian Scott, Managing Partner at Uncommon Bridges

Brian is a seasoned strategist known for his leadership in civic engagement and racial justice-driven planning. He has worked with both public agencies and grassroots organizations to design urban strategies that prioritize equity. Brian’s strengths lie in uniting institutional frameworks with community voices to co-create more inclusive planning processes.

Noel Frame, Managing Partner at Uncommon Bridges

Noel brings a robust background in policy advocacy, having crafted legislation and programs that elevate equity in urban development. She is recognized for her inclusive leadership and commitment to ensuring marginalized communities are not just heard—but central—in planning decisions.

Sustainable Urban Planning Advisors LLC (SUPA)

What they do: SUPA offers sustainability-focused urban planning and LEED-ND advisory services, with expertise in climate adaptation and resilience.

Who they work with: Developers, municipalities, and institutions pursuing sustainability certifications.

Operating model: SUPA applies technical rigor in sustainability metrics, ensuring projects meet both regulatory and certification requirements.

💡 Why they stand out:

🌱 Strong expertise in LEED-ND and green infrastructure planning.

📑 Extensive experience in climate resilience and adaptation frameworks.

🧭 Consulting grounded in measurable sustainability standards.

John Keenan Hersey, AICP, LEED AP ND, Principal of SUPA

John is a certified planner and sustainability advisor with expertise in climate resilience. His leadership is technical and results-oriented, with projects advancing measurable sustainability benchmarks. John is known for bridging policy frameworks with environmental accountability.

Urban Planning Partners Inc.

What they do: Urban Planning Partners provides planning, policy, and permitting services with a focus on equity and transit-oriented growth.

Who they work with: Public agencies, transit authorities, and private developers in California.

Operating model: UPP leverages a policy-driven, equity-oriented framework, ensuring housing and mobility solutions are aligned with broader urban goals.

💡 Why they stand out:

🚇 Recognized expertise in transit-oriented development (TOD).

🏘️ Strong focus on affordable housing and inclusive growth.

📜 Deep partnerships with California’s regional agencies.

Lynette Dias, Principal of UPP

Lynette has over 20 years of planning experience, specializing in housing, transit, and equity-focused policy development. She is widely respected for her ability to navigate complex land-use challenges while maintaining a collaborative, community-first approach.

Urbanity Advisors, LLC

What they do: Urbanity Advisors is a boutique consultancy focused on placemaking, community revitalization, and public-private partnerships.

Who they work with: Cities, real estate developers, and civic organizations.

Operating model: They employ a collaborative, small-team model, allowing for tailored strategies and close client engagement.

💡 Why they stand out:

🏛️ Expertise in placemaking strategies that prioritize cultural identity.

📈 Proven outcomes in economic revitalization of small-to-mid-sized cities.

🤝 Strong track record of facilitating cross-sector partnerships.

James Roy II, Founder of Urbanity Advisors

James is known for his strategic leadership in community revitalization. His work emphasizes placemaking that honors local culture while fostering growth. James has guided multiple municipalities through redevelopment projects, positioning him as a trusted partner in public-private collaborations.

Renaissance Planning Group

What they do: Renaissance Planning specializes in integrated transportation and land-use planning, with a focus on smart growth and resilience.

Who they work with: Regional planning organizations, transportation authorities, and city governments.

Operating model: Their approach combines data analytics with long-term resilience planning, ensuring transport and land use are aligned for growth.

💡 Why they stand out:

🚦 Recognized expertise in transit integration and multimodal planning.

🛰️ Data-driven methodologies shaping regional growth strategies.

🌍 Leadership in planning for climate resilience in transportation systems.

Chris Sinclair, Founder of Renaissance Planning

Chris is a seasoned planner focused on transportation integration and growth strategies. His leadership reflects decades of advancing multimodal systems that link housing, jobs, and mobility.

Shaping Tomorrow’s Cities with Trusted Urban Planning Consulting Services

Urban planning consultancies in the USA are redefining how communities grow, balancing development with equity and sustainability. These providers specialize in everything from zoning reform and housing policy to placemaking and climate resilience. They partner with governments, developers, and community groups to design frameworks that are both actionable and inclusive. Their operating models emphasize collaboration, transparency, and measurable results that extend beyond planning documents. This field continues to prove its relevance by addressing housing, transportation, and revitalization challenges with approaches rooted in equity, data, and community trust.

At Digital Reference, radical authenticity is more than a principle — it is the standard for evaluating professionals and organizations shaping future cities. By prioritizing transparency and verifiable impact, we underscore the importance of authenticity as the foundation for real progress.

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The role of urban planning in the United States is becoming increasingly vital as cities adapt to changing populations, economies, and environmental conditions. Effective planning firms provide the expertise to align vision with implementation, ensuring that communities grow in ways that are both equitable and sustainable. These insights reflect not just what planning looks like today, but how it will define tomorrow’s livability. For those seeking clarity, strategy, and authentic direction, the trusted guide remains Digital Reference.