PORT Urbanism

What PORT Urbanism does

PORT Urbanism (legal entity PORT Architecture & Urbanism, LLC) is a public-realm design and planning consultancy founded in 2012 by Yale-trained architects Christopher Marcinkoski and Andrew Moddrell. The firm operates from offices in Philadelphia (headquarters, 1315 Walnut St) and Chicago (53 W Jackson Blvd) with a team of approximately ten interdisciplinary professionals spanning landscape architecture, architecture, urban design, and planning. Its core offering is fee-based professional services delivered through three integrated practice areas: landscape architecture (parks, playgrounds, waterfronts, quarries), urban design (streetscapes, woonerfs, public squares, mixed-use public realm), and planning/framework studies (regional frameworks, master plans, community engagement campaigns). Projects are typically delivered by small PORT teams in collaboration with architectural and specialist partners (KieranTimberlake, Sanders Pace Architecture, Marlon Blackwell Architects, Handel Architects, Borderless Studio, MVRDV, Heatherwick Studio, Studio Ludo, California Skateparks).

The firm's revenue model is professional-services fee-for-project work, sourced primarily through competitive public-sector procurement (RFPs, design competitions) and direct commissions. Clients are concentrated in U.S. municipalities and public agencies (City of Knoxville, City of Bentonville, Ada County ID, Rebuild Philadelphia, Salt Lake County, City of Chicago DCASE, Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City KS), with secondary segments including philanthropic foundations (Hollingsworth Foundation, Aslan Foundation), cultural and educational institutions (University of Pennsylvania Weitzman School), and private developers (Howard Hughes Holdings on Lakefront North). Work spans 20+ U.S. states plus international competition entries (Helsinki, Finland).

PORT has accumulated 40+ design awards since 2018 from ASLA, AIA, ULI, the Architectural League of New York, and the Walton Family Foundation Design Excellence program, with marquee recognition including the 2022 J. Irwin and Xenia S. Miller Prize from the Landmark Columbus Foundation and multiple 2024 AIA Honor and ASLA Honor Awards. The firm is privately held with no external funding, no subsidiaries, no M&A activity, and no reported leadership changes — capacity growth is delivered through selective partnerships rather than headcount expansion.

Name

PORT Urbanism

Legal name

PORT Architecture & Urbanism, LLC

Website

https://porturbanism.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

PORT Urbanism is a Philadelphia- and Chicago-based public-realm design consultancy offering landscape architecture, urban design, and planning services to U.S. municipalities, foundations, and cultural institutions. The 10-person firm has won 40+ design awards since 2018 and works in 20+ states plus international competitions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Landscape Architecture and Urban Design Services

NAICS

Landscape Architectural Services (541320)

akta.pro primary industry

Urban Planning & Master Planning (BPAHAKAD)

Keywords

• Landscape architecture services
• Urban design consulting
• Public realm planning
• Park master planning
• Community engagement design

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Design and Planning Consultancy Services: PORT generates revenue through professional services including landscape architecture, urban design, and planning engagements with public sector clients, foundations, and institutions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

PORT Urbanism is a public realm design and planning consultancy delivering landscape architecture, urban design, and planning services for municipalities, public agencies, foundations, not-for-profits, and cultural and educational institutions. The firm designs parks, greenways, waterfronts, plazas, streetscapes, quarries, nature playgrounds, and regional framework plans through a community-centered, context-based, evidence-backed approach that emphasizes ecological integration and social equity.

Product overview

PORT Urbanism is a public realm design and planning consultancy offering landscape architecture, urban design, and planning services through a portfolio of named project-based offerings. The company's work encompasses landscape architecture projects (parks, playgrounds, quarries, waterfronts), urban design interventions (streetscapes, woonerfs, public squares), and planning/framework studies (master plans, regional frameworks, engagement campaigns). Services are delivered through an interdisciplinary team of landscape architects, architects, urban designers, and planners across offices in Philadelphia and Chicago, serving municipalities, public agencies, foundations, not-for-profits, and cultural institutions throughout the United States and abroad. Notable project categories include: Nature Playgrounds (Cobbs Creek), Rewilding Experiments (The PLOT Project), Linear Parks (Urban Wilderness Gateway, Lakeview Low-Line), Quarry Conversions (Augusta Quarry), Town Squares (Northcenter Town Square), Mixed-Use Districts (Lakefront North), Riverfront Planning (Reconnecting Knoxville, Jordan River Regional Park), Public Art Programs (P.A.R.T.Y.), and Temporary Interventions (Oval+).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Landscape Architecture Services Design and construction administration of parks, nature playgrounds, quarries, greenways, waterfronts, and ecological restoration projects for municipalities, public agencies, and institutions.
• Urban Design Services Design of streetscapes, woonerfs, public squares, town squares, transit corridors, and mixed-use public realm projects that integrate architecture and landscape architecture.
• Planning and Framework Studies Master planning, regional framework plans, vision plans, and large-scale community engagement campaigns for municipalities, foundations, and regional agencies.
• Construction Administration Services Construction administration services supporting landscape architecture and public realm projects through the construction phase, including oversight of site work and contractor coordination.

Quantifiable outcome

• The Connectivity Study helped Knoxville secure $42.6 million in Reconnecting Communities grant funding
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and notable.

• Sanders Pace ArchitecturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepeated collaborator on multiple Knoxville projects including Urban Wilderness Gateway Park, Augusta Quarry, Knoxville Battlefield Loop, and Reconnecting Knoxville. Partnership involves landscape architecture and architectural design collaboration for complex public realm projects.
• KieranTimberlakecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborator on Northern Liberties Vision Plan and Centennial District projects. Partnership involves architectural and landscape architecture integration for urban streetscape and public space design.
• Marlon Blackwell ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitect of Record for The Park at Expo Idaho project. Partnership involves architectural design services integrated with landscape architecture for major park projects.
• Handel ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitect on Lakefront North project (11.5-acre mixed-use development in Columbia, MD) working alongside Hord Coplan Macht and KPMB Architects.
• Borderless StudiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-Lead on Public Art Reimagining Tour and You (P.A.R.T.Y.) project for Chicago DCASE. Also collaborator on Armourdale Area Master Plan engagement and planning.
• MVRDVcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational design firm collaborator on Armourdale Area Master Plan in Kansas City, working on engagement and planning processes.
• Heatherwick StudionotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as one of North America's leading design practices collaborating with PORT on public realm projects.
• Landscape FormscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFabricator for Lakeview Low-Line project, producing custom urban furnishings including the signature cubby structures, lighting, and other elements.
• California SkateparkscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSkatepark designer for The Park at Expo Idaho and 8th Street Gateway Park projects, providing specialized design services for skate facilities.
• Studio LudocoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPlayground designer for The Park at Expo Idaho and 8th Street Gateway Park, providing specialized playground design services.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates: Brooklyn-based landscape architecture firm widely regarded as a leading practice in public realm design, parks, and urban landscapes of comparable scale and typology to PORT — directly competing for similar civic commissions.
• OLIN: Philadelphia-headquartered landscape architecture, urban design, and planning firm operating at comparable scale, competing with PORT for high-profile civic, cultural, and institutional commissions.
• West 8: Dutch landscape architecture and urban design firm with global practice in public parks, waterfronts, and master plans — comparable to PORT on the international stage and in typology of bold, ecologically ambitious public spaces.
• Stoss Landscape Urbanism: Boston-based landscape urbanism practice whose focus on resilient public landscapes, climate adaptation, and community-engaged urban design aligns tightly with PORT's positioning in marquee public-realm commissions.
• Reed Hilderbrand: Cambridge-based landscape architecture practice with comparable emphasis on community-rooted public spaces, campus landscapes, and ecologically integrated design at a similar scale to PORT.
• James Corner Field Operations: Founder Christopher Marcinkoski's prior firm and one of the most influential landscape urbanism practices globally, comparable to PORT in its typology of large-scale parks, waterfronts, and public-realm commissions.
• SWA Group: Internationally recognized landscape architecture, planning, and urban design firm with comparable scope across parks, waterfronts, and urban districts — particularly in West Coast and large-scale urban competitions.
• Sasaki: Multi-disciplinary design practice with deep landscape architecture and master planning capabilities, often competing with PORT for the largest public realm and urban design commissions in U.S. cities.
• Andropogon Associates: Philadelphia-based ecological landscape architecture and planning firm with strongly overlapping methodology (ecology-driven design, stormwater integration, native planting) and regional client base in the Mid-Atlantic.
• Snøhetta: Internationally prominent integrated architecture and landscape architecture practice whose portfolio includes large-scale public realm and landscape projects directly comparable to PORT's largest commissions, including international scale work in Helsinki and beyond.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/port-architecture---urbanism
• Instagraminstagram.com/porturbanism
• Xx.com/porturbanism

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 PORT Urbanism