What Agora Partners does

Agora Partners is a privately held boutique planning and real estate advisory firm founded in 2006 and headquartered in New York with a Los Angeles regional office. The firm operates at the intersection of urban planning and real estate development, serving three primary client segments: government agencies and public-sector entities (city governments, parks conservancies, state agencies), real estate developers (commercial, mixed-use, and entertainment districts), and foundations/family offices/PE funds holding real estate assets. The firm's core methodology, "entrepreneurial planning," fuses urban planning principles with real estate development techniques, public-private partnership structuring, and creative financing to create vibrant, financially sustainable public spaces.

Agora delivers six integrated consulting services: Public Space Activation, Market Analysis, Operations and Business Planning, Structuring Partnerships, Funding Solutions, and Strategic Planning. Engagements span conception through design, construction, and ongoing management, with marquee projects including Titletown (Green Bay Packers, since 2015), CityWalkBHAM, Piedmont Park Conservancy, NYC EDC on-call Real Estate Development Analysis, Old Sacramento Public Market, Gatton Park on the Town Branch, and the Research and Development District in San Diego. The firm is led by two principals — Howard Kozloff (Founder; Harvard MUP, Columbia MSRED) and Ben Donsky (Rutgers MCRP) — each with 20+ years of operating experience.

The business model is professional services on a project-by-project consulting basis, with quote-based project fees and no product or subscription revenue. Go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven: engagements are won through the principals' direct networks with public agencies, developers, foundations, and family offices, supplemented by thought leadership (Urban Land, Bloomberg, CityLab, BBC) and adjunct faculty roles. The firm also acts as a co-development principal on selected projects (HATCH Bioscience Corridor with ASG Real Estate; 1708 Alexandria with Coda Equities; CSU Northridge site with Symphony Development), giving it selective exposure to developer economics in addition to advisory fees.

Name

Agora Partners

Legal name

Agora Partners

Website

https://agorapartners.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Agora Partners is a privately held boutique planning and real estate advisory firm serving government agencies, real estate developers, and foundations. Founded in 2006 and led by two principals, the firm uses a proprietary "entrepreneurial planning" methodology to deliver public space activation, public-private partnership structuring, and strategic planning services across 40+ US engagements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Real Estate Advisory and Urban Planning Consulting

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Real Estate Transaction Advisory & Due Diligence (FSAEAJAJ)

Keywords

• Real estate advisory
• Urban planning consulting
• Public space activation
• Placemaking services
• Public-private partnership consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Planning and Real Estate Advisory Consulting: Agora Partners earns fees from providing advisory services to governments, parks conservancies, foundations, and real estate developers. Services include programming plans, business plans, partnership structuring and negotiation, and strategic planning. Revenue is generated on a project-by-project consulting basis, not through product sales or subscriptions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Agora Partners is a planning and real estate advisory firm that delivers consulting services spanning public space activation, market analysis, operations and business planning, partnership structuring, creative funding solutions, and strategic planning. The firm specializes in placemaking and the development of the public realm, including parks, plazas, mixed-use districts, and downtowns, for public-sector agencies, conservancies, foundations, developers, and private equity and family-office investors. In select cases, Agora also acts as principal or co-developer on mixed-use, office, and life-sciences projects.

Product overview

Agora Partners is a planning and real estate advisory firm offering six core consulting services: Public Space Activation, Market Analysis, Operations and Business Planning, Structuring Partnerships, Funding Solutions, and Strategic Planning. The firm specializes in creating vibrant public spaces, mixed-use districts, and downtowns through placemaking strategy and consulting. These services work together as an integrated approach—starting with defining value and maximizing it within the public realm—from project conception through planning, design, construction, and management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Public Space Activation Transforms underused spaces into active destinations by developing unique and implementable programming and activation plans for parks, plazas, mixed-use developments, and entertainment districts.
• Market Analysis Uses quantitative analysis, field observation, and stakeholder and community engagement to identify unmet demand and create strategies that draw visitors and boost revenue for public destinations.
• Operations and Business Planning Develops multiyear operational maturity models and business plans that serve as roadmaps for project growth, covering opening day planning, staffing plans, budgets, and long-term implementation.
• Structuring Partnerships Shapes and negotiates public-private, intergovernmental, community, and private development partnerships, leveraging hands-on real estate and public destination management experience.
• Funding Solutions Blends urban planning with real estate techniques to layer traditional financing sources with public-oriented funding mechanisms and creative financing tools for parks, plazas, and districts.
• Strategic Planning Creates long-term flexible strategies to revitalize downtowns and neighborhoods in financially sustainable ways that adapt to market shifts and changing community needs.
• Co-Development and Principal Real Estate Projects Selective co-development and principal-level participation in mixed-use, office, life sciences, and student housing projects where Agora deploys the firm's entrepreneurial planning methodology as an equity participant.

Quantifiable outcome

• Piedmont Park Conservancy strategy to double top-line revenue through park-appropriate venue development, sponsorships, food and beverage offerings, and site-specific activations.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers34 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

34 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lowe EnterprisescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgora Partners has partnered with Lowe Enterprises on multiple projects including Sequoia Station (Redwood City, CA) and Ivy Station (Culver City, CA). At Sequoia Station, Agora developed programming and activation plans for the public realm adjacent to the CalTrain station. At Ivy Station, Agora implemented and oversaw day-to-day programming, management, and revenue development for 18 months.
• Coda EquitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgora Partners is co-developing a ground-up, single-tenant office property at 1708 Alexandria in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles with Coda Equities. The project uses Station Neighborhood Area Planning (SNAP) principles to support a walkable, transit-oriented environment.
• ACRA HoldingscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgora Partners oversaw and executed a multifaceted infill land acquisition strategy in collaboration with ACRA Holdings on behalf of an investment partnership of local and out-of-state investors in Los Angeles. The partnership secured a keystone parcel near a planned transit station through a complex multi-owner, multi-parcel assemblage.
• Giarratana DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgora Partners was hired by Giarratana Development to create a programming and activation plan for Anne Dallas Dudley Park, a new linear park in downtown Nashville, as well as consult on its design. The park transforms a one-block street into Nashville's first shared street.
• IQHQcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerIQHQ retained Agora Partners to create programming, operating, and management plans for the public realm of the Research and Development District (RaDD) in downtown San Diego. Agora created staffing plans integrated with CBRE property management and advised on a signature private event venue.
• Lowe Enterprises (Ivy Station)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAgora managed the public spaces of Ivy Station for eighteen months, hiring and training a team before transitioning staff to Lowe Enterprises, helping Lowe build internal capacity and integrate new areas of operation into their property management.
• Green Bay PackerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgora Partners advised the Green Bay Packers on the ongoing development, activation, and management of Titletown, a mixed-use district across from Lambeau Field. Ben Donsky has been part of the design and development team since 2015, leading efforts to activate and manage public spaces, oversee fit-outs, and generate revenue through food concessions and ticketed winter attractions.
• Piedmont Park ConservancycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAgora Partners advises the Piedmont Park Conservancy on ongoing stewardship of Atlanta's 'central park.' In 2021, Agora led organizational planning, developing an organization and business plan focused on strengthening the public-private partnership with the City of Atlanta and doubling top-line revenue.
• Parks CaliforniacoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerParks California engaged Agora Partners to develop recommendations for programming strategy, operating model, and nonprofit management structure for Candlestick Point State Recreation Area in San Francisco, one of only two urban parks in the California state parks system.
• Interstate 195 Redevelopment Commission (Providence, RI)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAgora Partners serves as on-call public realm consultant to the Interstate 195 Redevelopment Commission for the continued development of 195 District Park, a key anchor for the Providence Innovation & Design District. Developed the park pavilion program, revenue projections, and is developing a new five-year strategic plan.
• City of Sacramento, CAcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThe City of Sacramento hired Agora Partners to advise on the redevelopment and ongoing operation of the Old Sacramento Public Market. In December 2025, Sacramento's City Council endorsed Agora's development program including six new restaurants and programmed public spaces. Agora also created programming and activation strategy for interim public spaces.
• New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYC EDC)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAgora Partners provided on-call Real Estate Development Analysis to NYC EDC, drawing on expertise in market studies across industrial, residential, and commercial sectors to outline opportunities for real estate and economic development.
• Millwork Commons (Omaha, NE)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAgora Partners provided programming, management, operations, and revenue strategies for Millwork Commons, a mixed adaptive reuse and new development project adjacent to Downtown Omaha, stitching together multi-use facilities through activation and programming of public spaces.
• Regent Partners and Mariner GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgora Partners worked alongside Regent Partners and Mariner Group to develop and implement programming and activation plans for Eastern Wharf, a mixed-use development on Savannah's riverfront with hundreds of apartments, hotels, office buildings, and over 30,000 square feet of retail, centered around an urban plaza and waterfront park.
• Salt Lake City CorporationcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAgora Partners provided technical assistance to the Housing and Neighborhood Development Division at Salt Lake City Corporation, identifying entrepreneurial alternatives to typical redevelopment scenarios through unique partnerships or dispositions for city-owned properties.
• GAI Consultants (Jacksonville, FL)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAgora Partners advised the City of Jacksonville as part of a team led by GAI Consultants on economic development strategy for downtown Jacksonville, focused on developing the public realm to create amenities that increase vibrancy and catalyze private investment.
• Kimley Horn (Lincoln Park, Greeley, CO)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAgora Partners was hired by the City of Greeley alongside Kimley Horn to develop programming and activation strategies for Lincoln Park, Greeley's premier park. Agora provided management and funding strategies in conjunction with Kimley Horn's design work.
• Design Workshop (The Lawn at Brushy Creek, Round Rock, TX)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAgora Partners worked with Design Workshop to develop operations, management, and revenue recommendations for The Lawn at Brushy Creek in Round Rock, Texas. Design Workshop led design while Agora focused on operational and revenue strategy.
• Design Workshop (Glendale Regional Park, Salt Lake City)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAgora Partners worked with Design Workshop to create a master plan for the redevelopment of the former Glendale Water Park, a 17-acre site in Salt Lake City, guiding capital improvements, site programming, operations, and maintenance.
• Outside Voices and Gehl Studio (Downtown Houston Public Realm Action Plan)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAgora Partners, together with Outside Voices and Gehl Studio, was retained by Downtown Houston+ to develop a public realm action plan for Houston's central business district. Agora led development of programming, management, and operational strategies.
• Gatton Park and Conservancy (Lexington, KY)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAgora Partners is advising the Gatton Park and Conservancy on programming, design, management, and development of Gatton Park on the Town Branch, a new nine-acre 'town square' at the heart of Lexington's most significant redevelopment efforts, fully funded by the nonprofit developer.
• Matrix New World Engineering (Liberty Square Park, New Brunswick, NJ)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWorking with Matrix New World Engineering, Agora created management and programming plans for Neilson Street Park (Liberty Square Park), the primary public space in downtown New Brunswick, New Jersey, managed through a public-private partnership.
• Hub404 Conservancy (Atlanta, GA)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAgora Partners developed financial and management strategies, an operating model, and a revenue plan for HUB404, a transformative new public space in Atlanta's Buckhead district that will reconnect two halves of the neighborhood and serve as a cultural and recreational hub.
• City of Columbia (Columbia Vista Greenway)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAgora Partners was tasked with creating a programming strategy, programming plan, and management and revenue strategies for Millwork Commons in Omaha, a mixed adaptive reuse and new development project north of Downtown Omaha, helping establish an operations and management model aligned with programming and financial goals.
• Culver City, CA (Parks Plan)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAgora Partners is engaged on the Culver City Open Space Plan, providing programming, operations, governance, revenue development, needs assessment, and activation services for the city's parks system.
• City and County of Honolulu (Ala Moana Beach Park)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAs part of the BRV team, Agora Partners is evaluating strategies to address deferred and ongoing operations and maintenance at Ala Moana Beach Park, Honolulu's 'People's Park,' ensuring it remains the city's central gathering place through comprehensive asset management.
• Lafayette Downtown Development Authority (LA)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThe Lafayette Downtown Development Authority engaged Agora Partners to provide strategic planning and due diligence analysis to support evaluation of potential purchase or lease of a network of parks and plazas from the City of Lafayette.
• City of Cleveland, OH (East 4th Street)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAgora Partners developed programming, activation, and management strategies for East 4th Street, a vibrant new pedestrian avenue in downtown Cleveland, and an abutting plaza in front of the House of Blues, including management and funding strategies for future programming.
• D.R. Horne & Co. (Milton Hershey School Trust)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAgora Partners participated in a comprehensive portfolio review with D.R. Horne & Co. for the Milton Hershey School Trust to ascertain highest and best uses subject to market opportunities, financial hurdles, and other considerations, providing a real estate assessment and disposition strategy.
• Stantec (Old Sacramento Public Market)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAgora Partners worked with Stantec to develop coordinated site plans for the Old Sacramento Public Market, creating alternative programs and layouts for temporary and seasonal vending in the public space between new retail buildings.
• Symphony Development (CSU Mixed-Use, Northridge)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSymphony Development and Agora Partners acquired a 12,500 sq ft leased postal facility on a 1.54-acre Opportunity Zone site one block from California State University – Northridge campus, securing approvals for a mixed-use development with student apartments, street-level retail, and subterranean parking.
• Barvin (Stella and Braes, Houston, TX)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgora Partners advised Barvin on integrating the public realm into a new mixed-use development inside the Loop in Houston, Texas. The team provided guidance on connectivity and programming of public spaces within the site and beyond, leveraging proximity to a nearby greenway, with hundreds of apartments and 75,000 sq ft of retail.
• HATCHspaces (HATCH Bioscience Corridor, Los Angeles, CA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgora Partners and ASG Real Estate redeveloped a 22,000 sq ft, 80-year-old former furniture factory and warehouse into HATCH, a bioscience workspace hub in the Los Angeles Bioscience Corridor. The HATCH portfolio now consists of five properties focused on the life sciences industry.
• Hines (West Edge, Los Angeles, CA)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFor this project, Agora Partners analyzed the commercial viability of various operating models for a planned food and beverage outlet in the public realm of Hines' new mixed-use development in Los Angeles, exploring ancillary revenue streams and tenant/visitor experience impacts.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Biederman Redevelopment Ventures (BRV): BRV specializes in planning, activation, and management of public spaces and destinations — directly overlapping Agora's core service lines. Ben Donsky was previously Vice President at BRV, and Agora is currently working as part of 'the BRV team' on Honolulu's Ala Moana Beach Park, confirming direct operational overlap.
• Project for Public Spaces (PPS): PPS is a nonprofit planning, design, and education organization dedicated to placemaking and public space activation — the same end-market Agora serves. Both organizations develop programming, activation, and management strategies for parks, plazas, and downtowns on behalf of municipalities and developers.
• Gehl: Gehl is an urban strategy and public space consulting firm whose people-centered approach to placemaking closely mirrors Agora's 'entrepreneurial planning' methodology. Agora and Gehl Studio are jointly engaged on Downtown Houston+'s public realm action plan, evidencing direct peer-level collaboration.
• HR&A Advisors: HR&A is a real estate and economic development advisory firm serving public agencies, institutions, and private developers — directly comparable to Agora's on-call market analysis and development advisory work for clients like NYC EDC, Opportunity Funds, and family offices.
• Streetsense: Streetsense is a real estate, hospitality, and marketing consultancy with a placemaking and activation practice that closely parallels Agora's work on mixed-use developments, downtown districts, and destination strategy. Both firms blend real estate, retail/tenant strategy, and public-realm activation.
• Design Workshop: Design Workshop is a landscape architecture, urban design, and planning firm that works on parks, mixed-use districts, and public realm projects. Agora has collaborated with Design Workshop on The Lawn at Brushy Creek, Lincoln Park (Greeley), and Glendale Regional Park — joint engagements that confirm direct peer-level overlap.

Broad incumbents

• SWA Group: SWA is a large, established landscape architecture and urban design firm with broad public-realm, waterfront, and master-planning practices. Its scale and multi-disciplinary delivery model are broader than Agora's boutique offering, but the project categories (parks, mixed-use, waterfront destinations) directly overlap.
• Torti Gallas + Partners: Torti Gallas is an established urban planning and architecture firm working on downtown revitalization, mixed-use, and TOD projects. Its portfolio overlaps with Agora's downtown strategic planning work for cities like Jacksonville, Northampton, and Lafayette, though Torti Gallas operates at a larger architectural scale.

Others

• Hart Howerton: Hart Howerton is a planning, architecture, and landscape design firm where Howard Kozloff previously served as Director of Operations. It operates in adjacent real estate strategy and resort/community master planning, making it a useful adjacent reference rather than a direct competitor.
• The Martin Group: The Martin Group is a New York-based real estate development advisory firm where Howard Kozloff worked as a Development Manager. It focuses on real estate investment, advisory, and capital solutions — adjacent to Agora's investment-advisory work for family offices, foundations, and opportunity funds.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/agora-partners-inc-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Agora Partners