Sitelab Urban Studio
SITELAB Urban Studio is a privately held, San Francisco-based urban design and strategy firm of approximately 20 professionals delivering master planning, resilience, downtown revitalization, and community engagement services to government agencies, large developers, and non-profits across California.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Sitelab Urban Studio does
SITELAB Urban Studio is a privately held, multi-disciplinary urban design and strategy firm founded in 2012-2013 and headquartered in downtown San Francisco, with a team of approximately 20 designers, principals and operating staff. Its core offering is project-based professional services — urban master plans, resilience and adaptation planning, downtown revitalization, transit-oriented development frameworks, and community engagement and strategic facilitation — rather than software or licensed technology. The firm serves three principal customer segments: municipal and port authorities (Port of San Francisco, SFMTA, California High-Speed Rail Authority, SFUSD), large-scale real estate and technology developers (Google on the 80-acre Downtown West plan in San Jose, Brookfield Properties on the Stonestown Mall Redevelopment, California Forever's approximately 15,700-acre Suisun Expansion Plan), and non-profit/community organizations (Sand Hill Property Company, Portola Neighborhood Association, Greenhouse Project).
Underlying capability centers on three proprietary frameworks: a community-centered design approach that drives stakeholder engagement and consensus-building; a Story Centered Design practice connecting place to narrative; and the Schoolyard Comprehensive Plan Framework, an adaptable toolkit for K-12 districts. The firm executes as the urban-design lead inside larger cross-disciplinary teams — Foster + Partners, ARUP, Heatherwick, Grimshaw, West 8, KPF, Jacobs Engineering, CMG Landscape Architecture — on infrastructure- and city-scale projects, generating revenue through project fees secured via competitive RFP/RFQ procurement and direct developer commissions across California (Bay Area, Central Valley, Solano County) with select international engagements.
SITELAB's commercial momentum is evidenced by repeated industry recognition: Fast Company's #3 Most Innovative Company in Urban Development & Real Estate (2020), Fast Company's 2023 Innovation By Design Award for Pandemic Action, and a dense cluster of 2024-2026 awards from AIA (state and San Francisco), APA (state and NorCal), ASLA NorCal, and ULI, alongside ongoing multi-year engagements such as the Port of San Francisco $13.5B Waterfront Resilience Program.
Sitelab Urban Studio firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sitelab Urban Studio
- Legal name
- SITELAB urban studio
- Website
- https://sitelaburbanstudio.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- SITELAB Urban Studio is a privately held, San Francisco-based urban design and strategy firm of approximately 20 professionals delivering master planning, resilience, downtown revitalization, and community engagement services to government agencies, large developers, and non-profits across California.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sitelab Urban Studio industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Urban Design Consulting
- NAICS
- Landscape Architectural Services (54132), Environmental Consulting Services (541620)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Community Engagement & Participatory Planning (BPAHAKAO)
Keywords
Where Sitelab Urban Studio is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Sitelab Urban Studio business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Urban Design Consulting Services: Professional fees for urban design, planning, and strategic consulting services to government agencies, developers, and non-profit organizations. Revenue generated through project-based contracts for master plans, public realm designs, resilience programs, and community engagement services.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Sitelab Urban Studio product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SITELAB is a multi-disciplinary urban design and strategy firm that delivers professional consulting services including urban master plans, downtown revitalization, climate resilience and adaptation planning, public realm design, and community engagement for government agencies, real estate developers, and non-profit organizations. The firm operates on project-based contracts, shaping city-scale developments through flexible planning frameworks, stakeholder facilitation, and collaborative design processes across California and select U.S. markets.
Product overview
SITELAB urban studio is an urban design and strategy firm offering professional design services rather than a software product. The firm's portfolio consists of interconnected service offerings including Urban Master Plans, Resilience & Adaptation Planning, Downtown Revitalization, and Community Engagement Services. These services are delivered through specific projects such as the Downtown West Mixed-Use Plan, Stonestown Mall Redevelopment, SFUSD Schoolyard Comprehensive Plan, Downtown SF Public Realm Action Plan, Waterfront Resilience Program, California High-Speed Rail Stations, and various public space projects including Boom Pop Parks and Fisherman's Wharf Recovery. The firm's work spans urban framework plans, public realm design, housing innovation strategy, street design, transit-oriented development, and community engagement across multiple California cities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Urban Master Plans
Quantifiable outcome
- Won Fast Company's 2023 Innovation By Design Award in Pandemic Action Category for Downtown SF Public Realm Action Plan
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Sitelab Urban Studio
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Sitelab Urban Studio technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Sitelab Urban Studio partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
59 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and supporting.
- San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD)coreSFUSD commissioned SITELAB to develop the Schoolyard Comprehensive Plan addressing goals for dynamic schoolyards supporting learning, play, and environmental stewardship across 130+ schoolyards.
- Berliner ArchitectscoreArchitecture collaborator on the SFUSD Schoolyard Comprehensive Plan, providing architectural expertise for school facility integration.
- KPFF EngineerscoreEngineering collaborator on the SFUSD Schoolyard Comprehensive Plan, providing structural and civil engineering expertise.
- Foster + PartnerscoreSITELAB is supporting California High-Speed Rail station area design and planning for four Central Valley stations as part of a team led by Foster + Partners. SITELAB leads stakeholder engagement and early activation projects as part of their role in urban design and planning.
- ARUPcorePart of the Foster + Partners-led team for California High-Speed Rail Central Valley Stations project. ARUP provides engineering and technical expertise alongside SITELAB's urban design and community engagement capabilities.
- California ForeverflagshipCalifornia Forever commissioned SITELAB to lead planning and urban design for the Suisun Expansion Plan - an approximately 15,700 acre new city development in Solano County.
- CMGcoreCMG Landscape Architecture is a key collaborator on the Suisun Expansion Plan.
- CBGsupportingPlanning collaborator on the Suisun Expansion Plan.
- Fehr & PeerssupportingTransportation planning collaborator on the Suisun Expansion Plan.
- NEXT InfrastructuresupportingInfrastructure planning collaborator on the Suisun Expansion Plan.
- Second Nature Ecology & DesignsupportingEcological design collaborator on the Suisun Expansion Plan.
- ESAsupportingEnvironmental science collaborator on the Suisun Expansion Plan.
- AscentsupportingConsulting collaborator on the Suisun Expansion Plan.
- ENGEOsupportingGeotechnical engineering collaborator on the Suisun Expansion Plan.
- Studio MLAsupportingLandscape architecture collaborator on CA High-Speed Rail Central Valley Stations.
- BiostudiosupportingEcological design collaborator on CA High-Speed Rail Central Valley Stations.
- HMHsupportingEngineering collaborator on CA High-Speed Rail Central Valley Stations.
- John BelasupportingCollaborator on the Downtown SF Public Realm Action Plan, contributing expertise in urban interventions and tactical urbanism.
- Fehr + PeerssupportingTransportation planning collaborator on the Downtown SF Public Realm Action Plan, providing traffic and mobility analysis.
- Downtown SF PartnershipflagshipOngoing collaboration on Downtown Gateway project following the Public Realm Action Plan, transforming the cable car turnaround at Robert Frost Plaza.
- Downtown SF PartnershipflagshipSITELAB partnered with Downtown SF Partnership to develop the Public Realm Action Plan (PRAP) - a roadmap for transforming downtown streets and open spaces to boost economic recovery. Multiple project phases including Landing at Leidesdorff and Downtown Gateway.
- Port of San FranciscoflagshipSITELAB plays a key role in advancing the Waterfront Resilience Program addressing seismic and flood risk across 7.5 miles of San Francisco shoreline. Collaboration with Jacobs Engineering and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
- Jacobs EngineeringcoreJacobs Engineering serves as the primary contractor for the Port of San Francisco Waterfront Resilience Program, working with SITELAB on waterfront adaptation strategies.
- CMG Landscape ArchitecturecoreCMG Landscape Architecture is a key collaborator on the Port of San Francisco Waterfront Resilience Program, providing landscape architecture expertise.
- GoogleflagshipGoogle is pursuing the Downtown West mixed-use development at San Jose's Diridon Station. SITELAB led the framework plan and design guidelines for this 80-acre project.
- West 8coreInternational design firm collaborating on Downtown West Mixed-Use Plan for San Jose.
- Heatherwick StudiocoreInternational architecture studio collaborating on Downtown West Mixed-Use Plan.
- Grimshaw ArchitectscoreArchitecture firm collaborating on Downtown West Mixed-Use Plan.
- KPF (Kohn Pedersen Fox)coreArchitecture firm collaborating on Downtown West Mixed-Use Plan.
- Fougeron ArchitecturesupportingLocal architecture firm collaborating on Downtown West Mixed-Use Plan.
- SCBsupportingArchitecture/planning firm collaborating on Downtown West Mixed-Use Plan.
- Sherwood Design EngineerssupportingEngineering firm collaborating on Downtown West Mixed-Use Plan.
- H.T. Harvey & AssociatessupportingEcological consulting firm collaborating on Downtown West Mixed-Use Plan.
- San Francisco Estuary InstitutesupportingEnvironmental research institute collaborating on Downtown West Mixed-Use Plan.
- Architectural Resources GroupsupportingHistoric preservation firm collaborating on Downtown West Mixed-Use Plan.
- Integral GroupsupportingSustainability consulting firm collaborating on Downtown West Mixed-Use Plan.
- Prior + PartnerssupportingUrban design/planning firm collaborating on Downtown West Mixed-Use Plan.
- ARUPsupportingEngineering and consulting firm collaborating on Downtown West Mixed-Use Plan.
- Nelson\NygaardsupportingTransportation planning firm collaborating on Downtown West Mixed-Use Plan.
- HMH EngineerssupportingEngineering firm collaborating on Downtown West Mixed-Use Plan.
- Brookfield PropertiesflagshipBrookfield Properties is the client for Stonestown Mall Redevelopment - a flagship project transforming 30 acres of underutilized surface parking into an integrated mixed-use town center with 3,500 homes.
- EinwillerKuehl Landscape ArchitectssupportingLandscape architecture collaborator on the Stonestown Mall Redevelopment project.
- David Baker ArchitectssupportingArchitecture collaborator on Stonestown Mall Redevelopment project.
- Fehr & PeerssupportingTransportation planning collaborator on Stonestown Mall Redevelopment.
- CBGsupportingPlanning collaborator on Stonestown Mall Redevelopment.
- ELS ArchitecturesupportingArchitecture collaborator on Stonestown Mall Redevelopment.
- Walter P MooresupportingEngineering collaborator on Stonestown Mall Redevelopment.
- Sand Hill Property CompanycoreSand Hill Property Company commissioned SITELAB to develop Boom Pop Park and Bridge Pop Park in East Palo Alto, transforming ~0.7 acres of vacant land into temporary community parks.
- LMNOP DesignsupportingDesign collaborator on Boom Pop and Bridge Pop Parks.
- Studio OsupportingDesign collaborator on Boom Pop and Bridge Pop Parks.
- Emily WeinsteinsupportingDesigner collaborator on Boom Pop and Bridge Pop Parks.
- Portola Neighborhood AssociationcorePortola Neighborhood Association is the client for the Portola Green Between project, a quarter-mile linear park along Highway 101.
- The Greenhouse ProjectcoreCollaborator on Portola Green Between project, focused on urban greening and community gardens.
- Portola Garden ClubsupportingCommunity organization collaborator on Portola Green Between.
- Constance MigliazzosupportingSan Francisco Landscapes collaborator on Portola Green Between.
- San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA)flagshipSFMTA commissioned SITELAB for the Potrero Bus Yard Joint Development - a transit modernization project that creates housing above a new bus facility.
- HATCHcoreArchitecture collaborator on SFMTA Potrero Yard Modernization.
- HDRcoreEngineering collaborator on SFMTA Potrero Yard Modernization.
- Civic Edge ConsultingsupportingCommunity engagement collaborator on SFMTA Potrero Yard Modernization.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Sitelab Urban Studio competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- SCAPE Landscape Architecture: NYC-based landscape architecture and urban design firm with comparable project scale (post-Sandy Living Shorelines, Brooklyn Bridge Park, public realm frameworks) and an analogous community-engagement-driven methodology. SCAPE is one of the closest U.S. peers to SITELAB in size, mission, and client type.
- Field Operations (James Corner Field Operations): Pioneer of contemporary urban landscape design behind High Line, Freshkills Park, and similar large-scale public realm projects. Directly comparable to SITELAB in that both firms lead urban framework, public realm, and resilience plans for major institutions and public agencies.
- SWA Group: Large landscape architecture and urban design firm with deep Bay Area roots (Sausalito) and a portfolio of waterfront, downtown, and master plan projects. Comparable to SITELAB in service mix and client base, though materially larger in headcount.
- CMG Landscape Architecture: San Francisco-based landscape architecture firm that frequently partners with SITELAB (Port of SF Waterfront Resilience Program, Suisun Expansion Plan). Operates in the same Bay Area public-realm, waterfront, and resilience niches with comparable project scale.
- Sasaki Associates: Boston-based planning, urban design, and landscape architecture practice working on large-scale campus, waterfront, and city frameworks. Closely comparable to SITELAB in offering mix (master plans + strategy) and public-sector client base.
- OLIN: Philadelphia landscape architecture and urban design firm known for cultural institutions, public realm, and master plans. Comparable to SITELAB in studio size, design-led approach, and project typologies.
- Hood Design Studio: Oakland-based, community-rooted urban design and landscape architecture practice led by Walter Hood. Highly comparable to SITELAB in Bay Area focus, scale, social-equity orientation, and portfolio of public-realm and cultural landscape work.
- West 8: Dutch urban design and landscape architecture firm collaborating with SITELAB on Google's Downtown West plan. Comparable in master-planning capabilities and international project scale.
- MIG: Berkeley-based planning, design, and community engagement firm with strong public-sector and community development work across California. Comparable to SITELAB in size, regional focus, and integration of planning with community engagement.
Broad incumbents
- Perkins&Will: Global AEC firm with a sizable urban design and planning practice. Overlaps with SITELAB on master plans, TOD, and campus projects but operates at much greater scale and with a broader portfolio that includes architecture and interior design.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Sitelab Urban Studio social profiles
Digital presenceSitelab Urban Studio financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sitelab Urban Studio leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Sitelab Urban Studio funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sitelab Urban Studio 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 Sitelab Urban Studio
What does Sitelab Urban Studio do?
SITELAB is a multi-disciplinary urban design and strategy firm that delivers professional consulting services including urban master plans, downtown revitalization, climate resilience and adaptation planning, public realm design, and community engagement for government agencies, real estate developers, and non-profit organizations. The firm operates on project-based contracts, shaping city-scale developments through flexible planning frameworks, stakeholder facilitation, and collaborative design processes across California and select U.S. markets.
Is Sitelab Urban Studio a public or private company?
Sitelab Urban Studio is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Sitelab Urban Studio founded?
Sitelab Urban Studio was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Sitelab Urban Studio based?
Sitelab Urban Studio is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Sitelab Urban Studio make money?
One revenue line is on record: urban Design Consulting Services.
Who are Sitelab Urban Studio's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are SCAPE Landscape Architecture, Field Operations (James Corner Field Operations), SWA Group, CMG Landscape Architecture, Sasaki Associates, OLIN, Hood Design Studio, West 8 and MIG. Perkins&Will is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Sitelab Urban Studio have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sitelab Urban Studio.
What industry is Sitelab Urban Studio in?
Sitelab Urban Studio's product category is Urban Design Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAC, Landscape Architecture & Site Design, with a secondary code of BPAHAKAO, Community Engagement & Participatory Planning. Its NAICS code is 54132 and its SIC code is 8742.