MUSE Community + Design
MUSE Community + Design is a Chicago-based, woman-owned professional services firm that provides equity-centered urban planning, community engagement, mobility planning, and graphic design to municipal and county government clients across the Chicago metro and broader Midwest.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What MUSE Community + Design does
MUSE Community + Design is a Chicago-headquartered, woman-owned professional services firm specializing in equity-centered urban planning, community engagement, mobility planning, and graphic design. The firm serves primarily municipal and county government clients across the Chicago metropolitan area and the broader Midwest, with projects spanning comprehensive citywide plans (We Will Chicago), Vision Zero action plans, transit-oriented development plans, inter-municipal economic recovery plans, and large-scale civic events (City Civics Day). Notable clients include the Chicago Department of Transportation, Chicago Department of Planning and Development, Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways, Milwaukee County Department of Transportation, the Regional Transportation Authority, and the Village of Oak Park.
The firm was founded in 2014 by Courtney Kashima, AICP, and operates with a team of approximately 15 professionals including AICP-certified planners, designers, and engagement specialists. Differentiated service offerings include aerial drone photography and videography for stakeholder storytelling, hands-on engagement tools such as Design-a-Street, and bilingual (Spanish) engagement materials adapted to local dialects. MUSE holds WBE (Woman Business Enterprise) and DBE (Disadvantaged Business Enterprise) certifications from the State of Illinois, qualifying the firm for federally-funded transportation projects and many state/local diversity contracting goals.
Commercially, MUSE operates a project-based professional services model, billing municipal, county, and regional government clients through negotiated contracts and RFP responses. Business development is led by a dedicated Director (Ally Brisbin). The firm has self-described itself as the largest woman-owned urban planning and public engagement firm in Illinois. The team's output has earned multiple APA-IL awards between 2022 and 2024, including the Daniel Burnham Award for a Comprehensive Plan (West Chicago Forward in 2022; We Will Chicago in 2023), the 2024 Healthy and Active Community Award (Homewood TOD), and the 2024 Strategic Plan Award (One Howard Street), plus an Illinois Main Street Economic Vitality recognition.
MUSE Community + Design firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- MUSE Community + Design
- Legal name
- MUSE Community + Design
- Website
- https://musecommunitydesign.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- MUSE Community + Design is a Chicago-based, woman-owned professional services firm that provides equity-centered urban planning, community engagement, mobility planning, and graphic design to municipal and county government clients across the Chicago metro and broader Midwest.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
MUSE Community + Design industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Urban Planning Services
- NAICS
- Architectural Services (54131)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Community Engagement & Participatory Planning (BPAHAKAO)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Urban Planning & Master Planning (BPAHAKAD), Urban & Regional Planning (Land Use, Zoning, Master Planning) (BPAIANAD)
Keywords
Where MUSE Community + Design is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
MUSE Community + Design business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Professional Planning and Consulting Services: MUSE generates revenue through professional services contracts with government agencies, municipalities, and community organizations. Their engagements include comprehensive planning, community engagement, mobility planning, and graphic design services billed on a project basis.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
MUSE Community + Design product offering
Product offeringCore offering
MUSE Community + Design provides equity-centered urban planning, mobility planning, community engagement, and graphic design services for government agencies and community organizations. Deliverables include comprehensive citywide plans (e.g., We Will Chicago), Vision Zero and Complete Streets action plans, transit-oriented development plans, economic recovery plans, branding, event production, and aerial drone photography/video. Engagements are project-based, with a focus on authentic bilingual public participation and stipend programs for residents.
Product overview
MUSE Community + Design is a professional services firm specializing in urban planning and public engagement. Rather than a software product company, they provide consulting services including community engagement strategy, mobility planning, graphic design, and event planning for government and municipal clients. Their offerings are service-based engagements, not packaged software products or platforms.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Comprehensive Planning Services Equity-centered, multi-stakeholder comprehensive city and county plans covering land use, policy frameworks, and implementation roadmaps; delivered for government agencies (e.g., We Will Chicago, City of West Chicago Comprehensive Plan).
- Community Engagement Services Authentic, equity-centered public participation including surveys, festivals, stipends, pop-ups, and events; designed for municipalities and community organizations to reach diverse residents (e.g., 5,000+ survey responses for We Will Chicago, 76% of Cook County ZIP codes reached).
- Mobility and Vision Zero Planning Mobility planning and Vision Zero action plans for transportation departments (e.g., CDOT, Cook County DOT, Milwaukee County DOT, Village of Oak Park), incorporating multimodal planning, road safety audits, and bicycle/pedestrian engagement.
- Transit-Oriented Development Planning Transit-oriented development plans conducted in partnership with regional transit agencies (e.g., RTA Community Planning), addressing pedestrian/cycling infrastructure, viaduct improvements, traffic calming, and TOD land use.
- Branding and Graphic Design Services In-house graphic design, branding, and visual communications for plans, reports, events, and campaigns; led by Senior Associate Meredith Felt with art direction expertise.
- Aerial Photography and Drone Services Drone-based aerial photography and video used to tell communities' stories and help stakeholders visualize planning possibilities; positioned as a differentiating storytelling asset of the firm.
- Economic Recovery and Corridor Planning Inter-municipal and corridor-level economic recovery plans addressing post-disruption redevelopment, including the One Howard Street plan spanning Chicago and Evanston.
- Event Production (City Civics Day) Planning and production of large-scale civic engagement events, exemplified by the City of Chicago's annual City Civics Day, where 95% of survey respondents felt 'very' or 'exceptionally' inspired to get involved.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over $700,000 in stipends distributed to community members across engagements
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use MUSE Community + Design
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
MUSE Community + Design technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
MUSE Community + Design partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Nelson\NygaardminorSubconsultant to MUSE for Cook County Transit Plan project. Nelson\Nygaard served as the primary consultant with MUSE providing community engagement and outreach services.
- Sam Schwartz/TY LinminorMUSE served as subconsultant to Sam Schwartz/TY Lin for the Village of Oak Park Vision Zero Action Plan, providing bilingual community engagement services.
- HNTBminorMUSE served as subconsultant to HNTB for Cook County Electric Vehicle Outreach + Evaluation Study, providing graphic design and bilingual engagement services.
- Cook County Department of Environment and SustainabilitycoreClient for the Electric Vehicle Outreach + Evaluation Study. MUSE designed and led outreach campaign prioritizing historically under-resourced suburban municipalities.
- Center for Neighborhood Technology Transportation Equity Network (TEN)coreTEN served as the Cook County Transit Plan's accountability partner, providing guidance and input on the engagement strategy. TEN is a coalition of community organizations working toward equitable investment across the region.
- Civiltech Engineering IncminorSubconsultant for Homewood TOD Plan, supporting pedestrian and cycling plan components including viaduct improvements and traffic calming infrastructure recommendations.
- GoodSpeed CyclescoreLocal bike shop partner in Homewood for TOD planning. MUSE partnered with GoodSpeed Cycles to learn about natural movements of cyclists and pedestrians, hosting interactive mapping exercises at their shop.
- Ink Factory StudiominorCreative partner for City Civics Day event, providing visual notes that captured the spirit and highlights of panel discussions in 2D format.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
MUSE Community + Design competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Teska Associates: Illinois-based community planning and urban design firm providing comprehensive plans, corridor studies, and public engagement for municipalities — directly comparable in size, geography, and service mix to MUSE.
- Camiros: Chicago-based planning and zoning consultancy serving municipalities with comprehensive planning, zoning ordinances, and community engagement — same regional market and service lines as MUSE.
- HR&A Advisors: Real estate and economic development advisory firm advising public agencies on equitable economic recovery, TOD, and community development — overlapping with MUSE's TOD and economic recovery planning work.
- Goody Clancy: Boston-based urban planning and design firm delivering comprehensive plans, campus planning, and public engagement for cities and institutions — comparable mission-driven, equity-oriented planning practice.
- Houseal Lavigne Associates: Chicago-based urban planning firm focused on comprehensive plans, downtown plans, and community engagement for municipalities across the Midwest — directly comparable niche and client base.
Broad incumbents
- Stantec: Global design and engineering firm with a substantial urban planning and community development practice; competes for large municipal comprehensive plans and transit planning contracts.
- AECOM: Global infrastructure consulting firm with a dedicated urban planning, design, and community development practice — competes for large municipal planning contracts at scale.
- Sam Schwartz Engineering: National transportation planning and engineering firm (now part of TY Lin) that engages MUSE as a subconsultant on Vision Zero work — a larger incumbent that overlaps on mobility planning.
- HNTB: Major national infrastructure consulting firm with planning practice; engaged MUSE as subconsultant on Cook County EV outreach — overlaps with MUSE on transportation-related public engagement.
- Nelson\Nygaard: National transportation planning consultancy that partnered with MUSE on the Cook County Transit Plan — a larger incumbent in multimodal and transit planning.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
MUSE Community + Design social profiles
Digital presenceMUSE Community + Design financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
MUSE Community + Design leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
MUSE Community + Design funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
MUSE Community + Design 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 MUSE Community + Design
What does MUSE Community + Design do?
MUSE Community + Design provides equity-centered urban planning, mobility planning, community engagement, and graphic design services for government agencies and community organizations. Deliverables include comprehensive citywide plans (e.g., We Will Chicago), Vision Zero and Complete Streets action plans, transit-oriented development plans, economic recovery plans, branding, event production, and aerial drone photography/video. Engagements are project-based, with a focus on authentic bilingual public participation and stipend programs for residents.
Is MUSE Community + Design a public or private company?
MUSE Community + Design is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was MUSE Community + Design founded?
MUSE Community + Design was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is MUSE Community + Design based?
MUSE Community + Design is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does MUSE Community + Design make money?
One revenue line is on record: professional Planning and Consulting Services.
Who are MUSE Community + Design's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Teska Associates, Camiros, HR&A Advisors, Goody Clancy and Houseal Lavigne Associates. Broad incumbents are Stantec, AECOM, Sam Schwartz Engineering, HNTB and Nelson\Nygaard.
Does MUSE Community + Design have an API?
No public API is recorded for MUSE Community + Design.
What industry is MUSE Community + Design in?
MUSE Community + Design's product category is Urban Planning Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAO, Community Engagement & Participatory Planning, with a secondary code of BPAHAKAD, Urban Planning & Master Planning. Its NAICS code is 54131.