8 80 Cities
8 80 Cities is a Toronto-based non-profit founded in 2006 that delivers community engagement, public space activation, workshops, and tailored urban planning programs to municipal governments, planning firms, and community organizations across North America and internationally, funded primarily through government and foundation grants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersToronto, Canada
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What 8 80 Cities does
8 80 Cities is a Canadian non-profit organization founded in 2006 by Gil (Guillermo) Penalosa, headquartered in Toronto with a lean team of 10 employees (predominantly women with urban planning, design, communications, and community development backgrounds). The organization delivers a portfolio of six core service lines — Community Engagement, Public Space Activations, Workshops & Training, Neighbourhood Diagnostic, Tailored Programs, and Resources & Toolkits — alongside flagship programs including Ontario Community Changemakers (a micro-grant program for civic innovators funded by the Balsam Foundation), the Knight Foundation-backed Emerging City Champions fellowship, 8 80 TowerPOPS (a PHAC-funded 2024-2027 health-equity initiative in Toronto and Mississauga tower neighbourhoods), and School Streets. The organization serves municipal governments across Canada and the United States, planning and urban design firms, community organizations, and individual civic innovators, with founder-led consulting and keynotes extending reach to 350+ cities globally. Revenue is generated through a mix of government and foundation grants (Knight Foundation, Public Health Agency of Canada, Government of Canada, Balsam Foundation, Ontario Trillium Foundation) and fee-for-service municipal project work, with no commercial product or technology platform. The organizational model is services- and grant-driven rather than software-driven, and distribution is amplified through self-serve toolkits (Open Streets, Winter Cities, School Streets Guidebook, AARP Winter Placemaking Guide) and a bi-weekly webinar series hosted by Penalosa connecting 30+ countries.
8 80 Cities firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- 8 80 Cities
- Legal name
- 8 80 Cities
- Website
- https://880cities.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- 8 80 Cities is a Toronto-based non-profit founded in 2006 that delivers community engagement, public space activation, workshops, and tailored urban planning programs to municipal governments, planning firms, and community organizations across North America and internationally, funded primarily through government and foundation grants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where 8 80 Cities is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Toronto
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
8 80 Cities business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Government and Foundation Grants: Primary revenue stream from government agencies and foundations including Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) funding for Healthy Canadians and Communities Fund, Knight Foundation grants for Emerging City Champions program, and Balsam Foundation funding for Ontario Community Changemakers.
- Municipal Project Fees: Fee-for-service work with municipalities including active transportation planning, community engagement processes, public space planning, and neighborhood diagnostic services.
- Program Partnership Revenue: Revenue from implementing programs like 8 80 TowerPOPS funded by Public Health Agency of Canada with additional support from United Way Greater Toronto.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
8 80 Cities product offering
Product offeringCore offering
8 80 Cities is a non-profit organization that works with municipalities, planning and urban design firms, foundations, and community partners to deliver equitable community engagement, public space activations, neighbourhood diagnostics, workshops and training, and tailored programs rooted in the 8 80 concept. Engagements range from short pop-up pilots to multi-year programs such as 8 80 TowerPOPS, and are supported by a library of free toolkits on Open Streets, School Streets, Winter Cities, and age-friendly placemaking.
Product overview
8 80 Cities is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of urban planning and community engagement services centered on the 8 80 concept: if everything in cities is great for an 8-year-old and an 80-year-old, it will be great for everyone. The organization operates six core service offerings: 8 80 Community Engagement, 8 80 Public Space Activations, 8 80 Workshops and Training, 8 80 Neighbourhood Diagnostic, 8 80 Tailored Programs, and 8 80 Resources and Toolkits. These services are delivered through various programs including Ontario Community Changemakers, Emerging City Champions fellowship, 8 80 Copenhagen Study Tour, School Streets, and 8 80 TowerPOPS. The organization also produces toolkits and resources such as the Open Streets Toolkit, Winter Placemaking Guide (with AARP), Winter Cities Toolkit, School Streets Guidebook, and Seniors' Outdoor Activation Toolkit. The offering functions as a services and programs portfolio rather than a unified software product.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- 8 80 TowerPOPS: Transforming Underused Spaces to Support Health Equity in Tower Neighbourhoods - a 3-year multi-disciplinary project activating underused spaces near high-density apartment towers
- Emerging City Champions
- Ontario Community Changemakers
- School Streets
- Open Streets Toolkit
- Wintermission
- Winter Cities Toolkit
Products and services
- 8 80 Community Engagement Equitable engagement strategy service that works with municipalities and planning and urban design firms to build excitement and unlock community voices, assets, and capacities through hands-on, fun, and collaborative approaches.
- 8 80 Public Space Activations Co-creation of public space activations with community partners to reimagine underused streets and spaces as places for people, ranging from short-term pop-ups to longer pilots using spatial design and community programming strategies.
- 8 80 Workshops and Training Customized in-person or virtual training and capacity-building workshops on creating equitable and age-friendly cities and public spaces, featuring fun, interactive, hands-on activities for city staff, civic leaders, and partners.
- 8 80 Neighbourhood Diagnostic Collaborative diagnostic service that puts neighbourhoods back at the centre of city development, diagnosing challenges and highlighting opportunities to develop healthier, age-friendly, and sustainable neighbourhoods.
- 8 80 Tailored Programs Custom-made programs ranging from inspiring civic leaders to hosting immersive workshops in global cities on best practices in mobility, participation, and public spaces, developed in collaboration with funders and partners.
- 8 80 Resources and Toolkits Evidence-based research, storytelling, and international best-practice resources and toolkits in digital and print formats created with partners and clients, developed by urban designers, planners, communication specialists, and community development professionals.
- Ontario Community Changemakers A multi-generational leadership and micro-grant program for Ontario residents aged 19 and above who have bold ideas to activate public space, enhance civic engagement, and foster social inclusion in their communities. The program selects 30 applicants per cohort to receive $5,000 micro-grants, leadership development training from 8 80 Cities, and peer-to-peer networking.
- Emerging City Champions A fellowship program for young civic innovators with creative solutions to complex urban challenges, providing micro-grants and project support for innovative community projects in U.S. cities, run in partnership with the Knight Foundation.
- 8 80 Copenhagen Study Tour An in-depth, immersive international workshop and city-tour program in Copenhagen exploring what it takes to build a happy, healthy, and equitable city, featuring curated site visits and facilitation for civic leaders.
- School Streets A program that creates car-free environments in front of schools at the start and end of the school day to promote safe, active mobility for children and families, including accompanying engagement, evaluation, and guidebook production.
- 8 80 TowerPOPS A 3-year multidisciplinary project (2024–2027) activating underused spaces near high-density apartment towers to improve physical health outcomes in Rockcliffe-Smythe (Toronto) and Cooksville (Mississauga). Delivered with funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada and additional neighbourhood support from United Way Greater Toronto.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 1 million people walk, run, and bike on 121+ km of Bogotá roads every Sunday through Ciclovia program that Gil Penalosa helped transform
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use 8 80 Cities
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
8 80 Cities technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
8 80 Cities partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- AARPcorePartnership with AARP to create publications including Creating Community Gardens for People of All Ages, Creating Parks and Public Spaces for People of All Ages, and the Winterplacemaking Guide. 8 80 Cities has partnered with AARP and Trust for Public Land to highlight importance of parks and provide community leaders with tools.
- StreetPlanscoreCollaboration with StreetPlans on the Open Streets Project, a one-stop shop for all things open streets, creating the Open Streets Toolkit.
- Better Block FoundationsupportingPartnership with Better Block Foundation for the 8 80 Streets project, which temporarily transforms streets to demonstrate pedestrian-friendly infrastructure and safe street designs.
- World Urban ParkssupportingFounder Gil Penalosa served twice as chair and was the first ambassador of World Urban Parks. Executive Director Amanda O'Rourke serves as Co-Chair of the Children Play and Nature Committee.
- Norman Foster Institute for Sustainable CitiessupportingFounder Gil Penalosa serves as an academic chair at the Norman Foster Institute for Sustainable Cities.
- ICLEI CanadasupportingBoard member Megan Meaney serves as Executive Director of ICLEI Canada, an organization helping municipalities advance sustainability.
- Healthy Places By DesignsupportingAmanda O'Rourke serves as Advisory Board Member to Healthy Places By Design.
- Various Municipalities (Canada)corePartnerships with Canadian municipalities including Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Caledon, Kitchener, Victoria, Ottawa, Markham, Thunder Bay, St. Thomas, Parry Sound, St. Catharines, Whitby, Red Deer, Ajax, Oakville, and Saskatoon for various planning and engagement projects.
- Various Municipalities (U.S.)corePartnerships with U.S. municipalities including Portland, Los Angeles, Macon, West Palm Beach, Detroit, Long Beach, Duluth, Tallahassee, Charlotte, and Lexington for study tours, workshops, and community engagement projects.
- International Society for Urban HealthsupportingFounder Gil Penalosa serves as Expert Advisor to the International Society for Urban Health.
- Cities for Better HealthsupportingFounder Gil Penalosa serves as Expert Advisor to the Danish-based world initiative Cities for Better Health.
- Gehl ArchitectssupportingFounder Gil Penalosa was previously an advisor to Gehl Architects.
- Project for Public SpacessupportingFounder Gil Penalosa was previously an advisor to Project for Public Spaces.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
8 80 Cities competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Trust for Public Land: Large US non-profit focused on land conservation and creating parks for people; comparable through shared partnership with AARP on community gardens and parks publications targeting people of all ages.
- ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability: Global network of local governments working on sustainability; comparable through overlapping municipal client base and a board member who serves as Executive Director of ICLEI Canada, with shared focus on community-driven urban sustainability.
- World Urban Parks: International non-profit organization for the parks, open space, and recreation sector; founder Gil Penalosa has served twice as chair and as the first ambassador, providing direct organizational and mission alignment with 8 80 Cities.
- Gehl Architects: International urban planning and design consultancy focused on people-centered cities; comparable as a broader incumbent in the same category of urbanism work, and founder Gil Penalosa previously served as an advisor to the firm.
- AARP Livable Communities: Program within AARP focused on age-friendly community design; directly comparable through co-developed publications (Winter Placemaking Guide, Creating Community Gardens) and aligned mission around age-friendly cities and inclusive public spaces.
Direct peers
- Project for Public Spaces: Non-profit organization focused on placemaking and creating vibrant public spaces through community engagement; directly comparable as a mission-aligned peer with overlapping services in community engagement and public space activation.
- Better Block Foundation: Non-profit that demonstrates community-driven placemaking and tactical urbanism interventions; directly comparable through shared 8 80 Streets collaboration and focus on temporary street activations and pop-up public spaces.
- StreetPlans: Urban planning and advocacy firm focused on tactical urbanism and open streets initiatives; 8 80 Cities is an active partner on the Open Streets Toolkit, sharing methodology and target audience of city leaders and community advocates.
- Park People: Toronto-based non-profit dedicated to improving parks and public spaces in Canada; comparable as a Canadian non-profit peer with overlapping focus on community-driven public space activation and partnerships with municipalities.
- Healthy Places by Design: Non-profit that partners with communities to design healthy, active environments; comparable as a peer organization with overlapping focus on health equity, public space activation, and community engagement methodologies, and an 8 80 Cities advisory board member serves there.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
8 80 Cities social profiles
Digital presence8 80 Cities financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
8 80 Cities leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
8 80 Cities funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
8 80 Cities M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about 8 80 Cities
What does 8 80 Cities do?
8 80 Cities is a non-profit organization that works with municipalities, planning and urban design firms, foundations, and community partners to deliver equitable community engagement, public space activations, neighbourhood diagnostics, workshops and training, and tailored programs rooted in the 8 80 concept. Engagements range from short pop-up pilots to multi-year programs such as 8 80 TowerPOPS, and are supported by a library of free toolkits on Open Streets, School Streets, Winter Cities, and age-friendly placemaking.
Is 8 80 Cities a public or private company?
8 80 Cities is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was 8 80 Cities founded?
8 80 Cities was founded in 2006. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is 8 80 Cities based?
8 80 Cities is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, in the North America region.
How does 8 80 Cities make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Government and Foundation Grants are the primary driver. The others are municipal Project Fees and program Partnership Revenue.
Who are 8 80 Cities's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Trust for Public Land, ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, World Urban Parks, Gehl Architects and AARP Livable Communities. Direct peers are Project for Public Spaces, Better Block Foundation, StreetPlans, Park People and Healthy Places by Design.
Does 8 80 Cities have an API?
No public API is recorded for 8 80 Cities.