What AKRF does

AKRF is an independent, privately held environmental planning and engineering consulting firm founded in 1981 and headquartered in New York City. The firm employs over 400 multidisciplinary professionals across 16 offices, primarily concentrated along the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic corridor, with a service portfolio organized around four market sectors: Land Development, Transportation, Energy, and Water. Its 17 service lines span environmental impact assessment under CEQR/SEQRA/NEPA frameworks, civil engineering, geotechnical engineering, acoustics and vibration (including the proprietary PinDrop Acoustical Rendering Suite for auralization in Manhattan), air quality, climate resilience, construction monitoring, cultural resources, economics and real estate, landscape architecture, municipal planning, natural resources, permitting and compliance, site assessment and remediation, sustainability consulting, traffic and transportation, and water resources.

The firm generates revenue through project-based professional services engagements with federal, state, and local government agencies (its primary segment), private developers, healthcare systems, educational institutions, cultural nonprofits, sports franchises, and energy companies. Marquee clients include NJ Transit, Amtrak, the NYC Mayor's Office of Climate and Environmental Justice, NYC School Construction Authority, Columbia University, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, White Plains Hospital, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the American Museum of Natural History, Google, Related Companies, Con Edison, Ormat Technologies, the New York Yankees, New York Mets, and Brooklyn Nets. Notable project-scale engagements include the New York Penn Station Transformation, the $9.5 billion JFK New Terminal One, the Portal North Bridge, Second Avenue Subway, East Side Coastal Resiliency, and over 1,000 environmental reviews. Business development is sales-led, driven by reputation, regulatory authorship (including contributions to the original CEQR Technical Manual and its updates), thought leadership via the firm's Perspectives content series, and deep professional networks across government and private-sector clients in the Northeast.

In March 2024, AKRF acquired Engineering & Land Planning Associates to expand engineering capabilities and industrial-sector coverage, and the firm completed a major rebrand in 2024 after operating since 2003 under its prior brand identity. The firm remains independently owned with no disclosed private equity or venture capital backing, and operates without public revenue disclosure.

Name

AKRF

Legal name

AKRF, Inc.

Website

https://akrf.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

AKRF is an independent Northeast-based environmental planning and engineering consulting firm founded in 1981 with 400+ professionals across 16 offices, serving government agencies, developers, healthcare, education, cultural, sports, and energy clients with CEQR/SEQRA/NEPA environmental review, engineering, acoustics, and climate resilience services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Consulting Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (541620), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413), Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Engineering Services (54133)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainability, ESG & Climate Risk Advisory (BPAHAJAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water & Wastewater Compliance (NPDES/Stormwater, Pretreatment, Drinking Water/SDWA) (EUAHABAB), Water, Wastewater & Hydraulics Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAD), Environmental Aspects/Impacts Register & Legal Register Development (EUAHAIAD)

Keywords

• Environmental consulting
• Civil engineering
• Environmental impact assessment
• Acoustical consulting
• Land use planning

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices16 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Professional Services Consulting: AKRF generates revenue through project-based professional consulting services across environmental planning, engineering, and related disciplines. Services are provided to government agencies and private sector clients on a project basis.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

AKRF is an independent environmental planning and engineering consulting firm providing multidisciplinary professional services across 17 practice areas, including environmental impact assessment (CEQR, SEQRA, NEPA), civil engineering, traffic and transportation, geotechnical engineering, acoustics and vibration, air quality, climate resilience, construction monitoring, cultural resources, economics and real estate, landscape architecture, municipal planning, natural resources, permitting and compliance, site assessment and remediation, sustainability, and water resources. Services are delivered on a project basis to government agencies, developers, healthcare systems, educational institutions, energy companies, and cultural institutions primarily across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic United States. The firm also operates a proprietary acoustical rendering and auralization facility (PinDrop) in Manhattan.

Product overview

AKRF is a multidisciplinary consulting firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of professional services rather than a unified software product. The firm's offerings span 17 core service areas organized under four major market sectors: Land Development (including civic, commercial, cultural, education, hospitality, housing, industrial, planning, recreation, residential, sports, and studios markets), Transportation (aviation, bikeways, goods movement, highways/bridges/tunnels, intelligent transportation systems, rail/transit, and roads/streets), Energy (storage, green/renewables, fossil/nuclear, and transmission), and Water (combined sewer overflow, drinking water, ecological restoration, stormwater/green infrastructure, and wastewater). These services include environmental impact assessment, geotechnical engineering, acoustics, air quality, civil engineering, climate resilience, construction monitoring, cultural resources, economics and real estate consulting, landscape architecture, municipal planning, natural resources, permitting and compliance, site assessment and remediation, sustainability consulting, traffic and transportation planning, and water resources. The firm also offers a proprietary tool called the PinDrop Acoustical Rendering Suite for auralization services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Acoustics, Noise and Vibration Services Comprehensive sound and vibration testing, architectural design studies, mechanical equipment review, state-of-the-art computer modeling, and construction administration for buildings, venues, and infrastructure projects. Includes the PinDrop Acoustical Rendering Suite for auralizations of proposed spaces.
• Air Quality Services Air quality analyses and documentation for local, state, and federal environmental review pursuant to CEQR, SEQRA, and NEPA requirements, ambient monitoring, permit applications, and regulatory compliance support.
• Civil Engineering Services Comprehensive site planning, design, and permitting for land development, energy, transportation, and water clients, including construction administration and inspection services.
• Climate Resilience and Adaptation Services Identifies, assesses, and designs protective adaptations to climate change effects including sea level rise, increased precipitation, and extreme heat on coastal and inland communities.
• Construction Monitoring and Inspection Services Construction administration, management, inspection, and monitoring including vibration monitoring, crack and settlement monitoring, and environmental monitoring during construction.
• Cultural Resources Services Archaeology, historic preservation, and cultural resource consulting including archaeological investigations, historic resources surveys, and Section 106 compliance.
• Economics and Real Estate Consulting Services Economic and fiscal impact modeling, demographic studies, real estate advisory, IMPLAN and RIMS II modeling, tourism studies, and value capture analysis.
• Environmental Impact Assessment Services Environmental review pursuant to NEPA, SEQRA, and CEQR requirements, including Section 4(f) and Section 106 evaluations, environmental justice analysis, and alternatives analysis.
• Geotechnical Engineering Services Subsurface explorations, foundation design, construction recommendations, seismic design analysis, finite-element modeling, and support of excavation designs.
• Landscape Architecture Services Landscape architecture and design for community projects including master planning, planting plans, pavement design, and stormwater management (not offered in New York).
• Municipal and Land Planning Services Comprehensive planning services including SEQRA documents, zoning code development, comprehensive plans, downtown development, and land use entitlements.
• Natural Resources Services Assessment, preservation, and restoration of natural resources including ecological restoration, wetland mitigation, threatened and endangered species studies, and stormwater management.
• Permitting and Compliance Services Thorough permitting, compliance, and regulatory analysis at all government levels including air quality permits, noise code compliance, and Section 316(b) Clean Water Act compliance.
• Site Assessment and Remediation Services Assessment, investigation, and remediation of contaminated sites including Phase I/II environmental assessments, remedial action plans, and E-Designation compliance.
• Sustainability Consulting Services Sustainability consulting to clients including measuring, tracking, and reporting environmental impact, delivered through a dedicated Sustainability Working Group.
• Traffic and Transportation Services Traffic engineering, planning, design, and operation of traffic control systems including Adaptive Traffic Control Systems and microsimulation modeling.
• Water Resources Services Engineering and environmental services for combined sewer overflow, drinking water, stormwater, green infrastructure, and wastewater projects.
• PinDrop Acoustical Rendering Suite Proprietary acoustical rendering and auralization facility in Manhattan, featuring room acoustics modeling software like Treble and EASE to help clients experience sounds inside a building during planning and design. Featured in The New York Times, Associated Press, and Fast Company.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,000 CEQR, SEQRA, NEPA, and comparable environmental reviews prepared
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• VHB: VHB is a Northeast-based multidisciplinary engineering, planning, and environmental consulting firm with strong CEQR/SEQRA/NEPA, transportation, and land development practices — the closest direct competitor to AKRF in size, geography, and service mix.
• Tighe & Bond: Tighe & Bond is a Northeast-based engineering and environmental consulting firm offering civil, environmental, water resources, and planning services to municipal and private clients — closely comparable in regional focus and service mix to AKRF.
• TRC Companies: TRC is a U.S.-focused engineering, environmental, and infrastructure consulting firm providing comparable environmental impact assessment, permitting, and infrastructure development services to similar public-sector and private clients.
• ERM (Environmental Resources Management): ERM is a specialist global environmental, health, safety, and sustainability consulting firm competing with AKRF on environmental impact assessment, permitting, ESG advisory, and climate resilience work for infrastructure and real estate clients.

Broad incumbents

• Stantec: Stantec is a global engineering, architecture, and environmental consulting firm whose environmental services, water practice, and community development offerings overlap heavily with AKRF's service portfolio.
• WSP: WSP is a global engineering and environmental consultancy with a major U.S. practice that competes for the same infrastructure, transit, and environmental review projects AKRF pursues, though at substantially larger scale and broader geographic reach.
• Jacobs Solutions: Jacobs is a global professional services firm with substantial environmental, transportation, water, and urban development consulting — competing with AKRF on major Northeast infrastructure and environmental review engagements.
• Tetra Tech: Tetra Tech is a leading global consulting and engineering firm specializing in water, environment, and sustainable infrastructure — directly comparable to AKRF's water resources, environmental impact assessment, and climate resilience practices at a much larger scale.
• Arcadis: Arcadis is a global design, engineering, and consulting firm with a strong environmental and water practice that directly overlaps AKRF's site assessment/remediation, water resources, and climate resilience services.
• AECOM: AECOM is a global infrastructure consulting firm with deep environmental and transportation planning capabilities; it is the joint-venture partner on the Penn Station Transformation program alongside AKRF and competes broadly across AKRF's service lines.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/akrfnews

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about AKRF