Building Communities

What Building Communities does

Building Communities, Inc. is a private professional services firm founded in 2009 by Brian Cole and headquartered in Baker City, Oregon, providing community and economic development strategic planning services primarily to municipal, county, tribal, and regional government clients across the United States. The firm's core product is its proprietary Plan Week methodology, a seven-session, 14-hour process that combines the Key Success Factor Analysis (a 0-100 scoring tool covering seven community factor categories against 25 development strategies), the Four Stages of Civic Condition diagnostic model, the Community Organizer Assessment, and a Plan Implementation Workbook updated weekly. This methodology is positioned as the "third generation" of community strategic planning, succeeding SWOT and Asset-based Community Development approaches, and has been deployed across 82 communities since 2009 including HUD Sustainable Communities Regional Planning work in Arizona, North Dakota, and Arkansas, and tribal engagements with the Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe, and White Mountain Apache Tribe.

Revenue is generated through project-based professional services fees on full Plan Week engagements (industry average ~$68,000 in 2012 reference, with Building Communities stating its pricing is typically below this benchmark), individual module purchases (Civic Condition Assessment, Key Success Factor Analysis, Community Organizer Assessment, Action Steps Planning Workshop), specialized planning services for BRAC, disaster recovery, and forest planning contexts, implementation services through Economic Development Advisor and Interim Economic Developer offerings, Certified Cities Program work with state governments, and conference speaking engagements. The firm operates with a 16-person team distributed across six states and conducts sales through direct outreach to government and tribal officials, website contact forms, and conference presentations. The firm received an EDA SPRINT federal grant in 2022 to develop virtual planning software, signaling an intent to productize the methodology beyond its current in-person delivery model.

Name

Building Communities

Legal name

Building Communities, Inc.

Website

https://buildingcommunities.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Building Communities is a private professional services firm founded in 2009 that provides community and economic development strategic planning to U.S. cities, counties, tribes, and regional planning organizations using its proprietary seven-session Plan Week methodology and Key Success Factor Analysis tools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community and Economic Development Strategic Planning Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Urban Planning & Master Planning (BPAHAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Engagement & Participatory Planning (BPAHAKAO), Regional & Land Use Planning (BPAHAKAE)

Keywords

• Community strategic planning
• Economic development consulting
• Tribal planning services
• Regional sustainability planning
• HUD regional planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Boise

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Economic Development Strategic Planning Services: Building Communities generates revenue by providing community and economic development strategic planning services to cities, counties, tribes, and regional planning organizations. Fees are project-based and depend on the scope of the planning engagement. The average price of a generic (non-Building Communities) plan in 2012 was $68,000; Building Communities states its price is typically less depending on specifics.
2. Specialized Planning Services: Additional services including grant writing, financial literacy training, project feasibility studies, tribal branding and logo development, website development, 3D rendering and animation services, and governance policy development for tribal communities.
3. Strategic Planning Modules: Individual modules can be purchased separately: Civic Condition Assessment, Key Success Factor Analysis, Community Organizer Assessment, and Action Steps Planning Workshop — providing modular entry points for communities not ready for a full plan.
4. Certified Cities Program: State-level programming where Building Communities works with state Certified Cities Program Managers to deliver capacity building and strategic planning services to communities across a state.
5. Speaking and Conference Presentations: Brian Cole speaks at state and national conferences on community and economic development topics, providing keynote presentations, workshops, and breakout sessions.
6. Economic Development Advisory and Interim Developer Services: Implementation services where Building Communities provides economic development professionals or advisors to communities to assist with plan implementation, either on a short-term interim basis or through the Implementation Division for longer-term relationships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Building Communities sells community and economic development strategic planning services delivered through its proprietary Plan Week methodology — a seven-session, 14-hour process that produces comprehensive, objective, action-oriented strategic plans for cities, counties, tribes, and regional planning organizations. Core deliverables include the Plan Week engagement, four separately purchasable EDSP modules (Civic Condition Assessment, Key Success Factor Analysis, Community Organizer Assessment, Action Steps Planning Workshop), and an updatable Plan Implementation Workbook that supports post-planning execution.

Product overview

Building Communities offers a portfolio of community and economic development strategic planning products and services centered around its core Economic Development Strategic Planning (EDSP) methodology. The core EDSP product is a seven-session Plan Week process that enables communities to identify and implement development strategies. This core is complemented by four EDSP Modules (Civic Condition Assessment, Key Success Factor Analysis, Community Organizer Assessment, and Action Steps Planning Workshop) that can be purchased individually or together. Specialized offerings include Regional Plans for Sustainable Development, Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS), Certified Cities Program, Native American Tribal Planning, Base Closure Planning, Disaster Recovery Planning, and Forest Planning. Implementation services include Economic Development Advisor and Interim Economic Developer. Additional services include Building States Policy Analysis, Community Leadership Training, and a Plan Implementation Workbook. The company is also developing virtual planning software through EDA funding.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Strategic plans are completed in 14 hours vs. traditional 6-18 months
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHUD's Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities selected Building Communities as the lead strategic planning firm for three HUD regions under the Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant program. Building Communities provided grant writing and strategic planning for regions in North Dakota (19 counties), Arkansas (12 counties), and Arizona (Apache County area), completing 54 economic development strategic plans and 3 regional sustainability plans.
• U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDOT is part of the HUD-DOT-EPA Partnership for Sustainable Communities that established the Livability Principles integrated into Building Communities' regional planning methodology.
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEPA is part of the HUD-DOT-EPA Partnership for Sustainable Communities that established the Livability Principles integrated into Building Communities' regional planning methodology.
• USDA Rural DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of four federal agencies (along with HUD, DOT, and EPA) that funded 74 regions for Regional Plans for Sustainable Development. Building Communities provided planning services for three of these regions.
• U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEDA replaced the traditional CEDS 'laundry list' with four outcome requirements and encouraged integration with HUD-funded sustainability regions. Building Communities' methodology meets all CEDS requirements and the company serves as lead planner for EDA Economic Development Districts.
• Navajo NationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBuilding Communities has worked extensively with the Navajo Nation since 2011 following Brian Cole's discovery of the Bennett Freeze area conditions. Work includes economic development strategic planning, governance development, and the Navajo Thaw initiative.
• Hopi TribecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBuilding Communities provides tribal planning services for the Hopi Tribe as part of its Native American tribal planning practice. Also supports the Hopi Resilience initiative.
• East Arkansas Planning and Development DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBuilding Communities serves as lead planning consultant for this EDA Economic Development District, completing over 20 local plans and developing the Regional Plan for Sustainable Development that also officially serves as the District's CEDS.
• U.S. Forest ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerU.S. Forest Service is developing a new forest planning process that allows greater inclusion of area communities. Building Communities' methodology is presented as a model for collaborative planning that respects both federal land management and local community needs.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Fourth Economy: Community and economic development consulting firm delivering strategic plans, CEDS, and stakeholder engagement for regions, counties, and cities — directly comparable service offering to Building Communities.
• AngelouEconomics: Economic development consulting firm specializing in strategic plans, target industry studies, and workforce/economic analyses for cities, counties, and regions — a direct competitor in community economic development strategic planning.
• Camoin Associates: Economic development and planning consultancy serving municipalities, regions, and EDDs with strategic planning, CEDS development, and implementation services — closely overlapping with Building Communities' customer segments and methodology.
• PlaceDynamics: Community planning and economic development consulting firm offering strategic planning, downtown master planning, and stakeholder engagement services to small and mid-sized communities — overlapping customer segment with Building Communities.
• TischlerBise: Fiscal, economic, and demographic consulting firm providing impact fee studies, fiscal impact analyses, and strategic planning support to local governments — adjacent but comparable in serving municipal economic development needs.
• TIP Strategies: An economic development strategy consulting firm that delivers strategic plans, target industry analyses, and implementation support to cities, regions, and states — directly comparable to Building Communities' core EDSP service line and customer base.
• RKG Associates: Economic, real estate, and market consulting firm providing strategic plans, housing/needs assessments, and economic impact studies for municipalities and regions — overlaps with Building Communities on municipal economic development clients.
• Avalanche Consulting: Data-driven economic development strategy firm providing strategic plans, target industry analysis, and community engagement for cities and regions — comparable in methodology orientation and government client mix.

Regional players

• Bureau of Governmental Research (BGR): Independent, nonpartisan research organization focused on Greater New Orleans-area public policy, fiscal analysis, and planning — a regional planning peer in the government-focused research/planning category.

Emerging players

• SRI Foundation: Heritage and community planning nonprofit providing cultural resource management and community-based planning services, including work with Native American tribes — a thematic peer in tribal community planning adjacent to Building Communities' tribal practice.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/building-communities

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 Building Communities