What Urban Systems does

Urban Systems is a Canadian employee-owned, multi-disciplinary professional consulting firm founded in 1975 and headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, that delivers integrated engineering, community planning, landscape architecture, environmental science, GIS, water and wastewater, transportation, and communications services to municipal governments, Indigenous communities, provincial and federal agencies, and private-sector developers across Western Canada. The firm operates through 19 physical offices spanning British Columbia (15), Alberta (2), Saskatchewan (1), and Manitoba (1), enabling localized, face-to-face client relationships in a market where government procurement is the primary acquisition channel via RFPs and direct awards.

The firm's underlying technology stack is built on ESRI's ArcGIS platform (including Survey123 and StoryMaps) combined with Microsoft Power Platform (Power Automate), used to configure GIS-enabled permitting systems, public land viewers, digital application intake, automated workflows, and engagement dashboards for municipal and Indigenous clients — examples include the Saskatchewan First Nations Regional Dashboard (500+ resources), Community Navigator Dashboards, and interactive climate change project websites. A wholly-owned social-innovation subsidiary, Urban Matters CCC (incorporated 2014), operates as a Community Contribution Company that addresses complex social issues and reinvests 60% of profits into community innovation. Revenue is generated through project-based professional services fees negotiated per engagement, with pricing not publicly disclosed; the firm earns credibility through industry awards (PIBC Gold, CEA Award of Merit, TAC Educational Achievement Award, SPPI Excellence Award) and maintains Living Wage Employer certification in BC and Alberta. Notable quantified outcomes include a $54 million bridge project delivered on time and on budget, 252+ projects from the Winnipeg office alone, and over $1 million reinvested into the Saulteau First Nations community during wastewater infrastructure delivery.

Name

Urban Systems

Legal name

Urban Systems Ltd.

Website

https://urbansystems.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Urban Systems is an employee-owned Canadian consulting firm delivering integrated engineering, planning, landscape architecture, environmental, and GIS services to municipal, Indigenous, provincial, and private-sector clients across Western Canada via 19 offices in four provinces.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Engineering and Planning Consulting Services

NAICS

Landscape Architectural Services (54132), Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (925120), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241)

SIC

Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)

akta.pro primary industry

Smart Cities & Urban Innovation Programs (Digital Planning, Civic Tech for Cities) (BPAIANAJ)

Keywords

• Professional consulting services
• Community planning
• Civil engineering
• Geographic information systems
• Water wastewater engineering

Headquarters

HQ city

Kamloops

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices19 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Consulting Services: Project-based professional consulting fees for engineering, planning, landscape architecture, environmental science, GIS, transportation, water and wastewater, and communications services. Engagements are typically project-based with government and private sector clients across Western Canada.
2. Urban Matters Social Enterprise: Urban Matters CCC operates as a Community Contribution Company, generating revenue through consulting on policy and strategy and creating social ventures that respond to identified community needs. The CCC reinvests 60% of its profits back into community innovation activities and ventures.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Urban Systems is an employee-owned, multi-disciplinary professional consulting firm that provides engineering, community planning, landscape architecture, environmental science, GIS, transportation, water and wastewater, and communications services to government, Indigenous communities, and private sector clients across Western Canada. Engagements are project-based, with services delivered through 19 offices in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, and supported by the Urban Matters CCC social innovation subsidiary.

Product overview

Urban Systems is a professional consulting firm offering integrated services across community planning, engineering, and environmental consulting. The company operates as a multi-disciplinary practice with core service areas including Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Water & Wastewater, Transportation, Landscape Architecture, Community Planning, Asset Management, Indigenous Relations, Communications + Engagement, Community Energy Solutions, Land Development, Inspection, and Economic Development. The firm also includes Urban Matters CCC as a subsidiary focused on social innovation, and the Urban Systems Foundation for community giving. Services are delivered across 19 office locations in Western Canada through collaborative, integrated teams.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Urban Matters CCC: Community contribution company (CCC) that works with municipalities, communities, governments, NPOs, First Nations, social entrepreneurs, and socially conscious business leaders to address complex social issues. Reinvests 60% of profits back into community innovation activities.

Products and services

• Geographic Information Systems (GIS) GIS consulting services that modernize permitting processes and enable communities to visualize land and data together, overlay map layers, build custom dashboards, and automate workflows using ESRI and Microsoft tools.
• Water & Wastewater Engineering Engineering and consulting services for water distribution, wastewater treatment, stormwater management, and infrastructure planning for communities and developments.
• Transportation Planning Transportation planning services including active transportation, road safety, transit planning, and tactical urbanism for creating walkable, bikeable communities.
• Landscape Architecture Landscape architecture services for public spaces, parks, waterfronts, and community outdoor environments with a focus on accessibility and inclusive design.
• Community Planning Community planning services including official community plans, land use planning, Indigenous community planning, and accessibility planning for municipalities.
• Asset Management Asset management and infrastructure financing planning services for municipalities to manage capital assets and meet regulatory obligations.
• Indigenous Relations Services supporting Indigenous communities including traditional land use studies, climate change adaptation, economic development planning, and community capacity building.
• Communications + Engagement Public engagement and communication consulting using innovative digital technologies including interactive maps, virtual reality, and StoryMaps for community consultation.
• Community Energy Solutions Climate change mitigation and adaptation services including renewable energy planning, electrification pathways, and community energy strategy development.
• Land Development Land development engineering and planning services for residential subdivisions including infrastructure design, grading, and servicing solutions.
• Inspection Services Construction and environmental inspection services for developments including wetland monitoring, stormwater facilities, and infrastructure quality assurance.
• Economic Development Economic development planning including business plan development, market analysis, and economic diversification strategies for communities.
• Urban Matters CCC Social Enterprise Community contribution company subsidiary working with municipalities, governments, NPOs, and First Nations to address complex social issues like homelessness, addiction, and poverty through innovation and social ventures; reinvests 60% of profits into community innovation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 252 successful projects (Winnipeg office alone)
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers23 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Africa Community Technical Service (ACTS)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Urban Systems Foundation partners with ACTS for Water to deliver COVID-19 relief kits to vulnerable populations in Uganda. ACTS has been a multi-year international partner since 2008, and ACTS's CEO Jeff Golby partners with government on COVID-19 relief for vulnerable sectors.
• Developing World Connections (DWC)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Urban Systems Foundation partners with DWC to support families in Peru during the COVID-19 pandemic. DWC delivers food and water aid to families, including those participating in the school bus project. Foundation redirected committed program funds to emergency food relief.
• Habitat for Humanity CanadaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Urban Systems Foundation partners with Habitat for Humanity for company-wide volunteer builds. Volunteers from Edmonton and Saskatoon branches participated in builds at Carter Place (Edmonton) and Slimmon Place (Saskatoon). John Steiner served as an External Director on Habitat's National Board.
• Street2Peak / Streetfront Alternative ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Urban Systems Foundation sponsors Street2Peak expeditions taking at-risk youth from Vancouver's Streetfront Alternative Program to international locations. Supported trips to Mount Kilimanjaro (2015), Patagonia (2017), and New Zealand (2019), with youth meeting Indigenous communities across five continents.
• Urban Matters CCCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Urban Matters CCC (Community Contribution Company) is a subsidiary of Urban Systems, incorporated in 2014 as a social enterprise. It reinvests 60% of its profits into community innovation activities and ventures. Urban Matters acts as an innovation hub working with citizens, municipalities, governments, NPOs, First Nations, and social entrepreneurs on complex social issues.
• Innergex Renewable Energy Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUrban Systems worked with Innergex and Kanaka Bar Indian Band on the Kwoiek Creek Hydroelectric Project, a 50 MW facility. Innergex is the operating partner while Kanaka Bar holds ownership stake. Urban Systems provided climate change adaptation strategy support for the project's watershed areas.
• RJC EngineerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUrban Systems and RJC Engineers collaborated as the design-build team for the Town of Cochrane's Jack Tennant Memorial Bridge project ($54M). RJC provided structural engineering while Urban Systems provided project management and procurement services. The project won a CEA Award of Merit.
• ESRIcoreTechnology or IntegrationUrban Systems configures GIS-enabled permitting systems using ESRI tools (including ArcGIS Survey123) for municipalities and communities. ESRI technology enables public land viewers, interactive maps, field data collection, and automated workflows across Canadian communities.
• Microsoft (Power Platform)coreTechnology or IntegrationUrban Systems uses Microsoft Power Platform tools (including Power Automate) for GIS-enabled permitting system configurations, enabling automated workflows, internal dashboards, and streamlined approvals for municipal clients.
• Ocean WiseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOcean Wise certification program helps N'Quatqua First Nation increase exposure for their sustainable rainbow trout hatchery and tell their story in new markets, complementing Buy Local BC marketing efforts.
• Buy Local BCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBuy Local BC program helps N'Quatqua First Nation market their sustainable rainbow trout hatchery products in new retail markets, with grocery stores in Pemberton seeking to sell N'Quatqua-raised trout.
• First Nations Adapt Program / Indigenous Services CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUrban Systems supports Indigenous communities in accessing the First Nations Adapt Program funding from Indigenous Services Canada for climate change vulnerability assessments and adaptation strategies. This funding enables projects like the Kanaka Bar Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• AECOM: Global infrastructure consulting firm with significant Canadian operations including transportation, water, environmental, and planning services. Competes for large-scale municipal and provincial infrastructure projects in Western Canada.
• Arcadis NV: Global design, engineering, and consulting firm with Canadian operations including IBI Group (now Arcadis IBI). Competes on urban planning, transportation, water, and intelligent infrastructure work in Western Canadian municipalities.
• Stantec: Major Canadian-headquartered engineering, architecture, and environmental services firm with strong Western Canada presence. Directly competes for municipal water, transportation, community development, and environmental consulting work in BC, Alberta, and Saskatchewan.
• WSP Global Inc. Global engineering and professional services firm with significant Canadian municipal, transportation, and environmental consulting presence. Competes with Urban Systems on Western Canadian municipal RFPs, though operates at vastly larger scale across many geographies and disciplines.

Direct peers

• ISL Engineering and Land Services: Canadian engineering, planning, and land development consulting firm with strong presence in BC and Alberta. Competes directly with Urban Systems on municipal infrastructure, transportation planning, and community development projects in Western Canada.
• Dillon Consulting Limited: Canadian employee-owned multi-disciplinary consulting firm providing planning, engineering, environmental, and architecture services. Closest comparable peer to Urban Systems in terms of ownership structure, full-service model, and focus on municipal/community clients across Canada.
• Kerr Wood Leidal Associates (KWL): Western Canadian engineering and environmental consulting firm specializing in water, wastewater, and municipal infrastructure. Direct competitor for Urban Systems' Water Practice team, particularly in BC.
• Associated Engineering Group: Canadian employee-owned engineering, planning, and environmental services firm with offices across Western Canada (BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan). Directly comparable peer in scale, ownership structure, and service offerings for municipal infrastructure.
• McElhanney Ltd. Western Canada-based employee-owned consulting firm providing engineering, surveying, GIS, planning, and environmental services. Direct competitor in BC and Alberta for municipal infrastructure, transportation, and land development work.
• Bunt & Associates Engineering Ltd. Western Canadian transportation planning and engineering consulting firm based in BC and Alberta. Directly competes with Urban Systems' Transportation practice on active transportation, traffic, and complete streets planning for municipalities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/spirit_of_urban
• Facebookfacebook.com/spirit.of.urban
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/urban-systems-ltd-

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Urban Systems