Coherent Cities

What Coherent Cities does

Coherent Cities is a London-based, founder-operated professional services consultancy that helps organisations in the built environment sector collaborate, strategise, and develop leadership capacity. The firm is led by Lisa Taylor (sole Founder/Director) and offers a portfolio of services including facilitation, team and individual coaching, bespoke learning and development programme design, strategy and connection advisory, independent bid and report sense-checking, and leadership/EDI/presentation training, supplemented by speaking and panel moderation. Its service portfolio is delivered through direct client engagement with Lisa Taylor and a coordinated network of associate consultants brought in for specific projects.

The firm's client base is concentrated in UK public sector bodies (London boroughs such as Haringey, Camden, Barnet and Lambeth, the Greater London Authority, and the Old Oak & Park Royal Development Corporation), housing associations (Notting Hill Genesis, Peabody, Gateway Housing), real estate developers (Berkeley Homes, LandSec), and architecture firms (Pollard Thomas Edwards). Coherent Cities has no proprietary technology platform; its intellectual property is embedded in Lisa Taylor's facilitation expertise, sector intelligence, and extensive cross-sector network cultivated through her prior six-year tenure as Chief Executive of Future of London and ongoing roles with Future of Greater Manchester and Placemaking Collective UK.

Commercially, the firm operates a sales-led, referral-driven go-to-market model, with business development generated through Lisa Taylor's personal networks, professional reputation, and thought-leadership outputs including the CityBites podcast (produced with Future of London) and the #MapLondon conference. Revenue is generated through quote-based, custom engagements with no public pricing. The firm is privately held, receives no institutional investment, and is geographically limited to UK cities — primarily London, with active engagements in Manchester and Bristol.

Name

Coherent Cities

Legal name

Coherent Cities

Website

https://coherentcities.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Coherent Cities is a London-based, founder-led consultancy that provides facilitation, coaching, training, and advisory services to UK built environment organisations, including London boroughs, housing associations, and real estate developers. Services are delivered directly by Founder/Director Lisa Taylor with associate support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Urban Planning and Built Environment Consulting

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131)

SIC

Services-Business Services, Nec (7389)

akta.pro primary industry

Urban Planning & Master Planning (BPAHAKAD)

Keywords

• Urban planning consulting
• Stakeholder facilitation services
• Leadership coaching training
• Placemaking advisory services
• Cross-sector collaboration

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Professional Services Delivery: Revenue generated through direct client engagements for facilitation, coaching, training, strategy consulting, and advisory services. Services are delivered by Lisa Taylor directly and through coordinated associate input.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Coherent Cities is a professional services consultancy that delivers facilitation, coaching, and strategic advisory services to organisations working on cities and the built environment. Its core offerings include facilitation of cross-sector collaborations, team and individual coaching, bespoke learning and development programme design, strategy and connection services, independent bid and report sense-checking, and leadership/EDI/presentation training. Services are sold directly to public sector bodies, housing associations, real estate developers, and built environment firms.

Product overview

Coherent Cities is a professional services firm offering a portfolio of consulting and facilitation services centered around helping organizations communicate, collaborate, and compete more effectively. The core offerings include facilitation, team and individual coaching, bespoke learning and development programmes, strategy and connection services, independent bid and report sense-checking, leadership/EDI/presentation training, and speaking/moderation services. The company also produces content products including the CityBites Podcast (a joint production with Future of London) and hosts events such as the #MapLondon Conference. These services are delivered through Director Lisa Taylor and an associated network of consultants, with a focus on the built environment, urban planning, and city development sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CityBites Podcast: A podcast series produced by Coherent Cities in partnership with Future of London, covering topics on cities, leadership, and urban planning.
• #MapLondon

Named customers12 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

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Future of LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership with London's independent cross-sector hub for built-environment best practice. Lisa Taylor founded and serves as Executive Director, creating significant synergies between Coherent Cities and Future of London activities including joint events, programmes, and content.
• Future of Greater ManchestercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the North West's cross-sector leadership network. Lisa Taylor established this network and is stewarding transition to local leadership in 2027, creating ongoing collaboration opportunities.
• Augarde & PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPaul Augarde serves as an associate to Coherent Cities, delivering cultural, economic and commercial projects with social value and placemaking. Jointly organised #MapLondon conference in 2019.
• Placemaking Collective UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLisa Taylor participates in the steering group of this practitioner network. PCUK hosts field trips every two months, with Lisa co-hosting visits and contributing content.
• Pollard Thomas EdwardsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerArchitecture firm that co-organised #MapLondon conference with Coherent Cities in December 2019. Rebecca Lee from PTE initiated the conference concept.
• RE:WomenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for joint events including 'Culture Swap' webinar on public-private sector learning during Covid-19 and 'Curb Appeal' event on managing pandemic's impact on public-private space.
• ArupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerServed as host for #MapLondon 2019 conference. Senior Architect Rebecca Lee from Pollard Thomas Edwards and Coherent Cities organised the event together.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Arup: Global built-environment engineering and design firm with significant UK planning, stakeholder engagement, and advisory practices. Comparable end-market (boroughs, developers, housing associations) and overlapping capabilities, but as part of a much wider portfolio and without Coherent Cities' specialist facilitation focus.
• Deloitte UK Real Estate: Big Four advisory firm with UK real estate and public sector practices offering strategy, transformation, and stakeholder engagement services to developers, housing associations, and local government. Comparable end-market and service overlap, but as part of a much broader portfolio.
• WSP UK Advisory: Global built-environment consultancy with UK advisory services covering planning, placemaking, and stakeholder engagement for public and private sector clients. Comparable audience (UK boroughs, developers, housing associations) but with engineering scale rather than specialist facilitation focus.
• KPMG UK Real Estate: Big Four advisory firm with a dedicated UK real estate and built environment practice serving developers, housing associations, and public sector bodies. Comparable client base and growing overlap on transformation, EDI, and stakeholder engagement mandates, though delivered through a large partnership model.

Direct peers

• Centre for Cities: UK think tank producing research and convening events on urban economics and city policy. Comparable as an independent voice serving overlapping stakeholders (boroughs, developers, built-environment professionals) and competing for the same thought-leadership airtime.
• Centre for London: London-focused think tank producing research and running programmes on city policy, governance, and inclusive growth. Comparable audience (London boroughs, GLA, housing associations) and overlapping topics (collaboration, regeneration, EDI), competing for similar advisory and convening mandates.
• Urbis: Manchester-based urban planning and development consultancy providing planning, economic, and stakeholder engagement advice. Directly comparable service offering (facilitation, stakeholder engagement, regeneration advice) and overlapping client base of housing associations and local authorities, but primarily Manchester/North West rather than London.
• New London Architecture: Independent London-based forum and network for the built environment sector, hosting events, research, and member programmes. Highly comparable to Coherent Cities in operating model (independent, London-focused, member/event-driven) and audience overlap (architects, planners, boroughs, developers).

Emerging players

• Future of London: London's cross-sector hub for built-environment best practice, founded and led by Lisa Taylor. Overlapping ecosystem and audience, but operates as a non-profit membership network rather than a fee-paying consultancy; partial overlap in events and content rather than direct service competition.

Others

• Pollard Thomas Edwards: UK architecture and urban design practice that has co-organised #MapLondon with Coherent Cities and is listed as a past client/collaborator. Related as a built-environment ecosystem partner rather than a competitor, but useful reference point for the firm's network and project context.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/coherentcities

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Coherent Cities