Community Planning Collaborative

What Community Planning Collaborative does

Community Planning Collaborative is a Berkeley, California-based urban planning and consulting firm founded in 1998 (originally as Baird + Driskell Planning) and rebranded to its current name in December 2022. The firm provides housing policy, accessory dwelling unit (ADU) program design, community engagement, and sustainability/resilience planning services to government agencies, nonprofits, and community-based organizations. Its core geographic base spans Bay Area and Northern California counties (Alameda, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Marin, Napa, Sonoma, plus foothill counties), with active or recent engagements extending into Utah (Salt Lake City), Colorado (Boulder), Massachusetts, and Maine.

The firm has built a portfolio of proprietary tools and educational IP alongside its consulting practice, including ADU Calculators customized for 11+ counties and cities, a multilingual community engagement platform called Let's Talk Housing, an ADU Workbook, and a community-facing children's book titled Welcome Home! Its business model combines fee-for-service planning consulting (studies, technical assistance, program design, engagement facilitation) with grant-funded work sourced from philanthropic foundations (Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, James Irvine Foundation, Napa Valley Community Foundation) and government-adjacent entities (ABAG, Massachusetts Clean Energy Center). The firm is small (11–15 team members), bootstrapped (no external funding rounds disclosed), and has won multiple American Planning Association awards (2019, 2022, 2023). It serves as the technical assistance lead for ABAG's Regional Housing Technical Assistance Program covering 109 Bay Area jurisdictions.

Name

Community Planning Collaborative

Legal name

Community Planning Collaborative

Website

https://planningcollaborative.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Berkeley-based planning and consulting firm specializing in housing policy, ADU program design, and community engagement, serving government agencies and nonprofits across California and expanding into Utah, Colorado, Massachusetts, and Maine.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Consulting Services: Professional consulting services for housing policy, community planning, ADU programs, and organizational change provided to government agencies, nonprofits, and community organizations.
2. Technical Assistance: On-call technical assistance support for housing element updates, affordable housing programs, and policy development for municipalities and regional agencies.
3. Program Development and Design: Design and development of ADU programs, websites, calculators, guidebooks, and engagement tools for jurisdictions and organizations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Community Planning Collaborative provides professional consulting services in housing policy, ADU program development, community engagement, sustainability planning, and long-range planning to local governments, regional agencies, nonprofits, and community organizations. The firm also develops proprietary digital tools including ADU calculators customized for over 11 California jurisdictions, a 90-page ADU workbook, the Let's Talk Housing multilingual community engagement platform, and educational resources like the Welcome Home! children's book, working as an extension of client staff to deliver implementable strategies.

Product overview

Community Planning Collaborative is a planning and consulting firm (formerly Baird + Driskell Planning) offering a suite of services and products focused on housing policy, community planning, and inclusive engagement. Their core offerings include ADU Calculators and Guidebooks (step-by-step tools helping homeowners build accessory dwelling units), the Let's Talk Housing engagement platform (multilingual community engagement for housing planning), and comprehensive planning services including Housing Element Updates, Anti-Displacement Strategies, and Sustainability/Climate Planning. They also provide Design & Communications services creating visual products and websites. Their work spans regional collaborations like the 21 Elements Collaborative and Regional Housing Technical Assistance Program, and they produce educational resources including the children's book 'Welcome Home! Housing in Our Community'.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ADU Calculators Online calculators that help homeowners estimate potential costs and financial benefits of building an Accessory Dwelling Unit, including development costs, taxes, rents, and payback periods based on location and ADU type.
• ADU Guidebooks and Workbooks Step-by-step guidebooks and workbooks for homeowners on building ADUs, covering everything from initial inspiration through design, permitting, construction, and move-in. Delivered for client jurisdictions including San Mateo County and Marin County.
• Let's Talk Housing Community engagement platform and website that explains housing elements and affordable housing and provides multilingual resources for community participation in housing planning processes.
• Welcome Home! Housing in Our Community (Children's Book) Children's book about housing concepts designed for schools, families, and planning departments, explaining density, zoning, and affordability through storytelling with multilingual (English and Spanish) versions and WCAG-accessible digital files.
• Housing Policy and Implementation Services Technical assistance and support for developing affordable housing workplans, NOFA management, inclusionary housing policy analysis, and affordable housing program development for municipalities and regional agencies.
• Housing Element Update Services Comprehensive housing element update services including community outreach, data analysis, sites inventory, policy development, and state certification support for local governments.
• Inclusive Outreach and Engagement Community engagement services including multilingual outreach, stakeholder meetings, focus groups, surveys, and inclusive participatory planning processes.
• Strategic Collaboration and Facilitation Services Facilitation and collaborative planning services for jurisdictions, government agencies, and community organizations to build sustainable, equitable communities.
• Neighborhood and Comprehensive Planning Long-range planning services for neighborhoods and municipalities including land use, housing, and community development planning.
• Sustainability and Climate Services Climate action planning, sustainability planning, and environmental justice services including climate roadmaps and resilience strategies for local governments.
• Anti-Displacement Strategies Community-driven processes to develop anti-displacement strategies including tenant protection policies, community benefit policies, and affordable housing preservation programs for municipalities.
• Organizational Change and Team Building Strategic planning and organizational development services to strengthen collaborative work efforts and team capacity for client organizations.
• Design and Communications Visual design services including communications programs, website development, print materials, and policy visualization products for client jurisdictions and organizations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Napa Sonoma ADU Center recognized as statewide best practice
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCPC has worked extensively with ABAG on regional housing technical assistance, facilitating county-level planning collaboratives across the nine-county Bay Area region and delivering nearly $11 million in local grants.
• Napa Valley Community FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngaged by the foundation with support from two counties' 16 jurisdictions to conceptualize, strategize, and launch Napa Sonoma ADU nonprofit focused on ADU development.
• Hello HousingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Hello Housing as sponsor for Alameda County ADU resource development, creating toolbox of ADU resources and streamlining permitting process.
• Backyard ADUssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Massachusetts Clean Energy Center ADU Accelerator pilot program, working with homeowners in Pioneer Valley to build all-electric detached ADUs.
• FutureLotsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Massachusetts ADU Accelerator program providing ADU Wizard tool and technical expertise for the pilot program.
• Urban Displacement Project (UC Berkeley)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Salt Lake City's Thriving in Place anti-displacement strategy, providing path-breaking analysis and research support.
• University of Utah Department of City and Metropolitan PlanningcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner on Thriving in Place project, contributing student work and academic expertise to the anti-displacement strategy development.
• Chan Zuckerberg InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported expansion of ADU Calculator statewide and commissioned housing affordability reports. CZI is recognized as a key supporter of housing innovation work.
• The James Irvine FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngaged CPC to conduct California Housing Landscape research including over 30 stakeholder interviews and production of comprehensive housing reports.
• Casita CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCPC led strategic planning efforts from inception, developing branding, website, public information handouts, and resource library for this statewide ADU organization.
• 21 Elements CollaborativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCPC has facilitated 21 Elements since its inception in 2008 - an award-winning countywide collaboration in San Mateo County making housing element development easier.
• Santa Clara County Planning CollaborativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCPC supported formation and provides ongoing facilitation and technical support for this countywide collaborative serving all 16 Silicon Valley jurisdictions since 2019.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• PlaceWorks: California-based urban planning, design, and environmental consulting firm serving public agencies on housing elements, general plans, and zoning. Closely comparable to CPC in client base (CA municipalities), service mix, and project scale.
• MIG: Planning, design, and communications consultancy with deep public-sector practice in community engagement, housing, and sustainability planning. Comparable mission and client base, though typically larger in scale than CPC.
• Opticos Design: Architecture and planning firm specializing in missing middle housing, ADU-friendly zoning, and form-based codes. Directly comparable on the ADU and housing-policy dimension where CPC has built its brand.
• BAE Urban Economics: Berkeley-based urban economics consultancy providing housing needs assessments, feasibility analyses, and policy research to public agencies. Comparable California public-sector client base and housing-policy focus.
• Eisen | Letunic: Bay Area planning and urban design consultancy serving municipalities on housing elements and general plans. Named as a prior employer of a CPC team member, indicating close industry overlap.
• Keyser Marston Associates: California real estate and housing economics consulting firm advising public agencies on affordable housing strategy, inclusionary zoning, and feasibility. Strong overlap in affordable housing policy work with CPC.
• Dyett & Bhatia Urban and Regional Planners: Bay Area planning consultancy focused on long-range planning, housing elements, and zoning for cities and counties. A direct peer — explicitly named in CPC team members' prior employment history.
• Raimi + Associates: California planning and environmental consulting firm specializing in general plans, housing elements, sustainability plans, and community engagement for municipalities. Comparable in size, geography, and service mix to CPC.
• Strategic Economics: Berkeley-based urban economics and planning consultancy providing housing, economic, and real estate analysis to public agencies. Comparable size, geography, and public-sector housing focus.

Others

• Casita Coalition: Statewide ADU advocacy nonprofit in California for which CPC led strategic planning and branding from inception. Not a competitor but a close ecosystem partner with overlapping ADU policy focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/planningcollaborative

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Community Planning Collaborative