What McKenna Associates does

McKenna Associates is a privately held community planning, urban design, and building services firm headquartered in Northville, Michigan, with additional offices in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, and Columbus, Ohio. The firm operates across three integrated service lines: Planning Services (master plans, transportation planning, economic development, neighborhood planning, zoning, downtown planning, community development, and public engagement), Design Services (urban design, landscape architecture, form-based coding, parks design, streetscapes, bike systems, and placemaking), and Building Services (building inspections, plan review, code enforcement, and municipal department administration and staffing). The firm primarily serves municipal governments — cities, villages, townships, counties, and regional agencies — and a small set of private clients across Michigan and Ohio.

McKenna's underlying technology stack is human-expertise-led, relying on GIS analysis, spatial planning tools, and community engagement methodologies rather than proprietary software. Notable technical components include the Sustainable Rochester Scoring System (a 20-indicator sustainability evaluation tool for new development) and a portfolio of Consolidated Plans, Housing Needs Analyses, Neighborhood Plans, and Parks and Recreation Plans tailored to Michigan communities. The firm leverages domain-specialized expertise, including AICP-certified planners and NCI-accredited professionals, alongside partnerships with firms like DPZ, LandUseUSA, and Jacobs on large master plans.

McKenna generates revenue through professional services fees on a project and retainer basis, billed directly to municipal governments and select private clients. The go-to-market motion is consultative and sales-led, with engagement originating from direct outreach to city officials, planning commissions, and municipal leaders, proposals, and ongoing client relationships across Michigan and Ohio. The firm has grown from a six-person practice to a multi-office operation of 101–250 employees over a 40+ year history, with current leadership under President John R. Jackson and Managing Partner Kathleen M. Jackson.

Name

McKenna Associates

Legal name

McKenna

Website

https://mcka.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

McKenna Associates is a privately held multidisciplinary community planning, urban design, and building services firm serving municipal governments across Michigan and Ohio from five offices, with 101–250 employees and over 40 years of operating history.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Northville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Municipal Planning and Design Services: McKenna generates revenue by providing professional planning, design, and building services to municipal governments and select private clients on a project and retainer basis.
2. Building Department Services: The firm provides building inspections, code enforcement, plan review, and department administration/staffing services to municipalities, generating revenue through service contracts and per-project fees.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

McKenna Associates is a multidisciplinary community planning and design consulting firm providing three core service lines to municipal governments: Planning Services (master planning, transportation planning, zoning, economic development, and public engagement), Design Services (urban design, landscape architecture, form-based coding, parks design, and placemaking), and Building Services (building inspections, plan review, code enforcement, and department administration/staffing). The firm serves cities, villages, townships, counties, and regional agencies primarily across Michigan and Ohio.

Product overview

McKenna Associates is a multidisciplinary community planning and design consulting firm offering three interconnected service lines: Planning Services, Design Services, and Building Services. Planning encompasses master planning, transportation, economic development, neighborhood planning, zoning, downtown planning, community development, and public engagement. Design services include urban design, landscape architecture, form-based coding, parks design, streetscapes, bike systems, and placemaking. Building services cover inspections, plan review, code enforcement, and municipal staffing solutions. The firm serves municipal clients across Michigan and the Great Lakes region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Planning Services

Named customers7 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DPZ (Design, Planning, and Zoning)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMcKenna partnered with DPZ, LandUseUSA, and Jacobs to create the Royal Oak Master Plan, combining multiple firms' expertise in urban design, planning, and landscape architecture.
• LandUseUSAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMcKenna partnered with DPZ, LandUseUSA, and Jacobs to create the Royal Oak Master Plan, combining multiple firms' expertise in urban design, planning, and landscape architecture.
• JacobscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMcKenna partnered with DPZ, LandUseUSA, and Jacobs to create the Royal Oak Master Plan, combining multiple firms' expertise in urban design, planning, and landscape architecture.
• Michigan Association of Planning (MAP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMcKenna partnered with MAP and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) to develop the RRC Child Care Readiness Toolkit, offering step-by-step guidance for Michigan communities.
• Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMcKenna partnered with MAP and MEDC to develop the RRC Child Care Readiness Toolkit, offering step-by-step guidance for Michigan communities.
• Michigan Municipal League (MML)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMcKenna partnered with the Michigan Municipal League to create a set of best practices focused on small and microbusiness success, including the Microbusiness Best Practices Essentials Playbook and Comprehensive Guide.
• Michigan Natural Resources Trust FundminorOthersMcKenna submitted a development grant application to the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund on behalf of Lexington Township for Cros-Lex Trail modernization, which was awarded in 2025.
• Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA)minorOthersMcKenna has assisted several client communities in obtaining Housing Readiness Incentive Grants from MSHDA to update Master Plans and amend Zoning Ordinances to promote housing access and affordability.
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)minorOthersMcKenna works with Continuums of Care (CoCs) to ensure planning priorities are reflected in HUD grant applications, plans, and Ordinances.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• AECOM (Urban Planning + Design): Global infrastructure consulting firm with a major urban planning, landscape architecture, and community development practice. Comparable at the service-line level but operates at significantly larger scale, competing for flagship municipal master plans.
• SmithGroup: National design firm with integrated planning, urban design, and architecture practices serving public and private clients. Overlaps with McKenna on civic master planning, mixed-use development, and community design engagements.
• WSP USA (Planning Practice): Global professional services firm with a large municipal planning, urban design, and transportation planning practice. Represents the larger incumbent competitor that can absorb major municipal projects across the Midwest where McKenna partners as sub-consultant.

Direct peers

• ABONMARCHE: Michigan and Great Lakes region engineering, planning, and architecture firm serving waterfront communities and municipalities. Comparable in scale, geography, and multi-disciplinary municipal service model.
• Fleis & Vandenbrink: Michigan-based engineering, planning, and architecture firm serving municipal and private clients across the Midwest. Overlaps with McKenna in municipal planning, water resources, and site design for the same client base of cities, villages, and townships.
• Opticos Design: Architecture and planning firm specializing in form-based codes, missing middle housing, and walkable neighborhood design. Directly comparable to McKenna's form-based code expertise and sustainability planning offerings.
• Barton & Loguidice: Northeast and Midwest engineering, planning, and landscape architecture firm with strong municipal practice. Comparable in offering municipal planning, landscape architecture, and building department support services to cities and towns.
• Carlisle Wortman Associates: Michigan-based community planning and design firm serving municipal clients across the state. Directly comparable to McKenna in size, geography, and service mix (planning, zoning, code consulting), making it the closest head-to-head competitor in the Michigan municipal market.
• DPZ CoDesign (Design, Planning, Zoning): Nationally recognized form-based code and town planning firm founded by Andrés Duany. McKenna partnered with DPZ on the Royal Oak Master Plan, and both firms share deep expertise in form-based coding, traditional neighborhood design, and municipal planning.

Emerging players

• LandUseUSA: Specialized land use economics and real estate market analysis firm that partnered with McKenna on the Royal Oak Master Plan. Comparable niche focus on real estate market feasibility, retail gap analysis, and land economics that complements planning work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mckenna-associates

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 McKenna Associates