What Planning Communities does

Planning Communities is a women-owned, Certified B Corporation consulting firm headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina that delivers multi-disciplinary climate, conservation, and infrastructure planning services to government agencies and institutional clients across the United States. The firm's practice spans three focus areas: Climate, Carbon & Resilience (vulnerability assessments, climate action plans, GHG inventories); Conservation, Connectivity & Ecology (tree canopy assessments, trail master planning, habitat corridor analysis); and Regenerative Systems & Infrastructure (fleet electrification transition plans, corridor plans, transit decarbonization). Core methodology combines climate and conservation planning with geospatial analysis using Esri's GIS platform (the firm holds Esri PartnerNet Bronze membership) to produce interactive StoryMaps, data dashboards, and prioritization frameworks such as the Climate Equity Index Prioritization Framework that consolidates hazard exposure, vulnerability, and asset risk into actionable equity-centered outputs.

The firm's business model is professional services consulting on a project basis, with engagements typically scoped around municipal or state government RFPs. Revenue is generated through consulting fees from municipal sustainability offices, transit authorities, state agencies, and conservation organizations, with pricing determined by project scope and complexity rather than published rates. Distribution is exclusively direct — the firm secures engagements through RFP responses, professional networking, and reputation-based referrals within government procurement processes. The firm has executed named engagements for the City of Richmond VA, City of Greensboro NC, Town of Chapel Hill NC, City of Elgin IL, Everett Transit WA, Greensboro Transit Agency, Columbus MSA (10 Ohio counties), the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the Appalachian Trail Community Conservation Collaborative. Partnerships with Elevate, Arbor Day Foundation, and U.S. Forest Service extend delivery capacity, and the firm has productized engagement through the "Action to Zero" card game. Marketing relies on content (case studies, blog), SEO, Bluesky and LinkedIn social presence, and earned media including a 2024 Real Leaders Top Impact Company recognition.

Name

Planning Communities

Legal name

Planning Communities

Website

https://planningcommunities.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Planning Communities is a women-owned, Certified B Corporation consulting firm that provides climate action planning, vulnerability assessments, conservation planning, and fleet electrification services to municipal, state, and transit agencies across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Climate and Conservation Planning Services

NAICS

Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412), Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (925120)

SIC

Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)

akta.pro primary industry

Urban Planning & Master Planning (BPAHAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Regional & Land Use Planning (BPAHAKAE), Community Engagement & Participatory Planning (BPAHAKAO), Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC), Environmental Policy, Planning & Regulation (BPAIAMAA)

Keywords

• Climate action planning
• Vulnerability assessments
• Conservation planning
• GIS geospatial analysis
• Fleet electrification planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Raleigh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Consulting Services: Planning Communities generates revenue through professional consulting engagements with government agencies, municipalities, and organizations seeking climate planning, resilience assessments, conservation planning, and sustainability strategy services. Projects include vulnerability assessments, climate action plans, tree canopy assessments, fleet electrification plans, and conservation planning engagements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Planning Communities is a women-owned, certified B Corporation that delivers multi-disciplinary climate and conservation planning services to government agencies, transit authorities, conservation organizations, and B Corps. The firm combines climate action planning, vulnerability assessments, conservation planning, tree canopy assessments, fleet electrification transition plans, and corridor/trail master plans with geospatial (GIS) analysis and equity-centered frameworks. Engagements produce prioritized implementation roadmaps, interactive StoryMaps and dashboards, and stakeholder engagement tools including the Action to Zero card game.

Product overview

Planning Communities offers a portfolio of climate and conservation planning services organized around three core focus areas: Climate/Carbon/Resilience, Conservation/Connectivity/Ecology, and Regenerative Systems/Infrastructure. The company provides assessment and analysis services (Climate Vulnerability and Risk Assessments, Tree Canopy Improvement Program, Fleet Electrification Transition Plans), strategic planning (Climate Action Plans, Corridor Plans, Trail Master Plans), and engagement tools (Interactive Dashboards, GIS StoryMaps, Action to Zero card game). The offerings function as distinct consulting service packages rather than a unified software platform, with each engagement tailored to specific client needs in municipal climate planning, conservation, and sustainable infrastructure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Action to Zero: A card game that gives teams and communities a shared framework and language to identify their top priorities and co-create solutions for climate action

Products and services

• Climate Vulnerability and Risk Assessment Integrated climate risk and equity analysis service that identifies vulnerable populations, public assets, and natural systems exposed to climate hazards such as heat and flooding, and produces prioritization frameworks and actionable implementation plans for municipal clients.
• Tree Canopy Improvement Program Urban reforestation strategy service combining tree canopy and land cover assessments with equity-centered prioritization, including community activation frameworks, public-facing websites, and implementation roadmaps for sustained canopy growth.
• Fleet Electrification Transition Plan Comprehensive roadmap for transitioning public transit bus and paratransit fleets to zero-emission electric vehicles, including fleet assessment, charging infrastructure scenarios, funding analysis, policy evaluation, utility impact analysis, and equity/resilience considerations aligned with FTA requirements.
• Climate Action and Response Planning Comprehensive climate action and response planning service for municipalities including GHG inventory, climate vulnerability assessment, community engagement strategy, and strategic action recommendations across buildings, transportation, and natural resources.
• Bragg Boulevard Corridor Plan Multimodal corridor planning service that transforms transportation corridors into activity centers with integrated land use and transit investments, including community charrettes, stakeholder engagement, and phased implementation frameworks.
• Mountains-to-Sea State Recreational Trail Master Plan Master planning service for North Carolina's Mountains-to-Sea State Trail that develops logical planning segments, prioritization criteria, implementation recommendations, and a dedicated website for segment coordination.
• Appalachian Trail Community Conservation Collaborative Conservation planning service that organizes collaborative conservation projects among local stakeholder communities along the Appalachian Trail, providing technical assistance, GIS analysis, and baseline assessments to pilot communities.
• B Corp Impact Services Specialized consulting services for Certified B Corporations to strengthen climate action planning, advance climate leadership, and align business operations with regenerative values and B Corp principles beyond compliance.
• Action to Zero A gamified card game designed for teams and communities that provides a shared framework and language to identify climate priorities and co-create solutions for climate action.

Quantifiable outcome

• Identified 25 neighborhoods with greatest need for new trees in Greensboro canopy assessment
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered notable and core.

• Arbor Day FoundationnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported the City of Greensboro's urban tree canopy assessment, providing funding and programmatic support for the comprehensive canopy study that guided reforestation strategy development.
• U.S. Forest ServicenotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with the City of Greensboro on the comprehensive tree canopy assessment, contributing technical expertise and funding for environmental health and community wellbeing initiatives.
• ElevatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlanning Communities partnered with Elevate to develop a Climate Action and Resiliency Plan for the City of Elgin, combining expertise in climate planning with community engagement and energy services.
• EsrinotableTechnology or IntegrationBronze level member of Esri Partner Network, indicating expertise in Esri's GIS software platform and spatial analysis technologies for climate and conservation planning.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Cadmus Group: A large environmental and energy consultancy that supports public agencies on climate planning, vulnerability assessments, and clean energy programs. Overlaps with Planning Communities' municipal climate and equity-centered planning work but at much greater scale and scope.
• ICF International: A major global consulting firm with a substantial climate, energy, and environment practice serving federal, state, and municipal clients. Comparable as a competitor for municipal climate planning RFPs but offers a much broader portfolio.
• WSP: A large global engineering and professional services firm with deep climate resilience, urban planning, and environmental advisory practices. Competes for the same municipal and state climate planning work but at substantially greater scale.
• AECOM: A global infrastructure consulting firm with a sizable climate resilience, sustainability, and urban planning practice. Directly competes for municipal and state climate action and resilience planning contracts alongside Planning Communities.

Direct peers

• EcoAdapt: A nonprofit focused on building climate adaptation capacity in the public and nonprofit sectors, offering vulnerability assessments, adaptation planning, and training. Overlaps with Planning Communities' climate resilience and conservation planning services.
• Karpman Consulting: A small, woman-owned climate and sustainability planning consultancy focused on municipal and institutional clients. Closely comparable to Planning Communities in firm size, values-alignment, and project-based municipal climate planning services.
• Climate Resilience Consulting: A boutique consultancy focused on climate adaptation and resilience planning for communities and public agencies. Comparable in service offerings (vulnerability assessments, adaptation planning) and target public-sector clients.
• Pale Blue Dot: A women-owned climate consulting firm that helps public agencies and mission-driven organizations develop climate action and sustainability strategies. Directly comparable as a small, values-aligned climate planning consultancy serving government clients.

Emerging players

• Southface Institute: A nonprofit sustainability and resilience organization offering climate planning, green building, and community resilience services in the Southeast US. Comparable in values-driven sustainability and resilience planning for communities, with geographic overlap in the Southeast.
• Elemental Excelerator: A climate-focused organization that deploys capital and project support to community climate solutions. Tangentially comparable as an emerging player in the climate planning and community resilience ecosystem, though more financier than consultant.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CommunitiesPlan

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Planning Communities