What Cascadia Partners does

Cascadia Partners is a privately held, multidisciplinary urban planning, urban design, real estate strategy, environmental sustainability, and public engagement consultancy headquartered in Portland, Oregon, with approximately 25 staff. The firm serves municipal, county, regional, and state government agencies, quasi-governmental authorities, and mission-driven nonprofits across at least 11 U.S. states, delivering project-based professional services won primarily through competitive public procurement (RFP/RFQ) and direct professional service agreements. Cascadia organizes its work into eight core service areas: Zoning and Development Code, Urban Design and Placemaking, Engagement, Urban Analytics, Real Estate and Development, Housing Policy and Planning, Environment and Sustainability, and Visual Communications. The firm's technology stack combines third-party tools (GIS, SketchUp, TestFit, Maptionnaire, MetroQuest, MURAL, Urban Footprint) with custom-built proprietary assets including a pro forma + SketchUp integration, a Middle Housing Pro Forma model developed for the Washington Department of Commerce, custom Buildable Lands Inventory (BLI) review tools, and a sensitivity-testing methodology for housing policy analysis.

Revenue is generated through fee-based professional service contracts on a per-engagement basis; pricing is not publicly disclosed and is negotiated through procurement. Cascadia operates a sales-led, B2G go-to-market with no consumer marketing channels; instead, business development relies on project portfolio visibility, thought leadership publications (e.g., the Oregon DLCD Walkable Design Guidebook under the CFEC program, the Colorado CHFA Guide to Health & Housing Partnerships, the City of Sacramento ADU Housing Development Toolkit), industry conferences, and professional referrals. The firm runs 40-50 projects annually nationwide and is structured around five operating partners (Alex Joyce, Alex Steinberger, Irene Kim, Jamin Kimmell, Sachi Arakawa), four Project Directors, and a bench of Senior Associates and Associates, supplemented by Strategic Partners with senior government credentials (Robert Liberty, Mike McKeever, Michael McElwee, John Southgate, Abe Farkas). Cascadia is independently owned by its partners with no parent company, external investors, or disclosed funding rounds.

Name

Cascadia Partners

Legal name

Cascadia Partners

Website

https://cascadia-partners.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cascadia Partners is a Portland-based multidisciplinary urban planning, real estate strategy, and public engagement consultancy serving municipal, regional, and state government agencies and mission-driven nonprofits across the U.S. through fee-based project engagements procured via public RFPs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Urban Planning Consulting Services

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Engagement & Participatory Planning (BPAHAKAO)

Keywords

• Urban planning consulting
• Zoning code reform
• Real estate development
• Community engagement
• Housing policy

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Professional Consulting Services: Cascadia Partners generates revenue by providing fee-based professional consulting services to government and institutional clients. Engagements are project-based and typically procured through public sector RFP/RFQ processes. Revenue is derived from planning, urban design, real estate strategy, zoning analysis, community engagement, and sustainability consulting engagements with municipal, county, regional, and state government agencies, as well as quasi-governmental authorities and mission-driven nonprofits.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cascadia Partners is a multidisciplinary urban planning and design consulting firm that provides integrated services across zoning and development code, urban design and placemaking, public engagement, urban analytics, real estate development, housing policy, environmental sustainability, and visual communications. The firm delivers project-based professional services to municipal, county, regional, and state government agencies, quasi-governmental authorities, and mission-driven nonprofits, combining sophisticated analytical tools (pro forma modeling, scenario planning, GIS) with visual storytelling and equitable community engagement.

Product overview

Cascadia Partners is a multidisciplinary consulting firm offering integrated urban planning, real estate development, environmental sustainability, and public engagement services. The firm provides eight core service areas including Zoning + Development Code, Urban Design + Placemaking, Engagement, Urban Analytics, Real Estate + Development, Housing Policy + Planning, Environment + Sustainability, and Visual Communications. These services are delivered through project teams combining planners, economists, real estate developers, urban designers, climate analysts, and engagement specialists. The firm works on 30-50 projects annually across the country, ranging from large-scale master plans to housing policy analysis and community engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Zoning + Development Code Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Increased Fort Collins zoned housing capacity by 53% and affordable housing bonus capacity by 194%
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers28 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Łush Kumtux Tumtum ConsultingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerŁush Kumtux Tumtum Consulting teamed with Cascadia Partners to co-lead the community engagement process for the Willamette Cove Nature Park Master Plan in Portland, with Knot Studio as the design lead. Cascadia's approach prioritized true collaboration and co-creation built on principles of reciprocal engagement, trauma-informed care, cultural humility, and equity.
• Robert Liberty (Strategic Partner)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRobert Liberty brings nearly 40 years of land use and transportation planning experience at local, regional, and state levels. He is a Loeb Fellow at Harvard GSD, former Metro Councilor, founder of 1000 Friends of Oregon, and Senior Counsel to Congressman Earl Blumenauer. He serves as a Strategic Partner providing land use and growth management expertise to Cascadia's projects.
• Mike McKeever (Strategic Partner)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMike McKeever served as Sacramento Mayor's Chief of Staff and as CEO of SACOG for 12 years. He led the groundbreaking Blueprint planning program and has spent his career promoting collaborative action between communities. He serves as a Strategic Partner providing regional planning and scenario planning expertise.
• John Southgate (Strategic Partner)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJohn Southgate has 35 years of experience in planning and development with a strong focus on public-private partnerships and urban infill. He serves on Metro's Transit-Oriented Development Steering Committee and provides P3 expertise to Cascadia's real estate and development offerings.
• Michael McElwee (Strategic Partner)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMichael McElwee brings 40 years of public-sector management experience, including 16 years as Executive Director of the Port of Hood River. He provides expertise in capital planning, urban renewal, waterfront revitalization, and public-private partnerships.
• YBA ArchitectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYBA Architects partnered with Cascadia Partners to prepare two development concepts for The Confluence at Troutdale site. Cascadia led the Action Plan and site marketing while YBA provided architectural design for the 16-acre mixed-use development site.
• Urban Design Associates (UDA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCascadia Partners teamed with Urban Design Associates (UDA) to evaluate feasibility of development concepts for the 7.5-acre Fleet Block in Salt Lake City's Granary District, working toward an equitable innovation district with makers, affordable housing, and transit access.
• VerdecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVerde, a local community-based organization, teamed with Cascadia Partners to implement and advise the Vance Open Space Plan engagement process in Multnomah County's Rockwood neighborhood, helping ensure a transparent and inclusive process centering marginalized BIPOC residents.
• Latino NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLatino Network, a Latino-led nonprofit providing culturally-specific programs for youth and families, partnered with Cascadia Partners on the Rockwood Urban Renewal Area community engagement effort for the Gresham Redevelopment Commission. Latino Network helped recruit and organize a diverse Community Leader group for culturally-specific outreach.
• Community BuilderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity Builders, a Colorado-based nonprofit planning firm, has partnered with Cascadia Partners on multiple projects including the Grand Junction Vibrant Together Downtown Plan, Envision East Sherman in Coeur d'Alene, and the Wyoming Department of Commerce zoning best practices guide. Community Builders leads multidisciplinary teams with Cascadia providing real estate and market analysis.
• Dover-KohlminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDover-Kohl, venerable new urbanist designers, led a multidisciplinary team for the Missoula Downtown Plan with Cascadia Partners charged with analyzing policies to address housing production barriers and making the case for continued downtown growth.
• Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCascadia Partners was hired by Oregon DLCD to author the state's Walkable Design Guidebook & Model Code Standards under the Climate Friendly and Equitable Communities (CFEC) program, a highly graphical and practical resource for communities across Oregon to evaluate and modify zoning codes for walkable design.
• Colorado Housing and Finance Agency (CHFA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCascadia Partners was hired by CHFA to develop a statewide Guide to Health & Housing Partnerships to help hospitals and affordable housing developers form partnerships that generate needed housing across Colorado's urban and rural communities.
• FCS GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFCS Group partnered with Cascadia Partners on multiple housing projects including Independence Housing Needs Analysis and Yachats Housing Needs Analysis, with FCS Group providing financial analysis alongside Cascadia's planning and engagement work.
• Metta Urban DesignminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMetta Urban Design partnered with Cascadia Partners, Peter Park, and Equity Policy Solutions on the Fort Collins Land Use Code Update, with Cascadia leading economic modeling to inform strategies for housing affordability.
• Walker Macy and Laurence Qamar & AssociatesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCascadia Partners served as prime consultant and project manager for Lake Oswego's Middle Housing Code Update, with subconsultants Walker Macy (landscape architecture and urban design) and Laurence Qamar & Associates providing additional expertise.
• Corvus Design, SALT, and DOWLcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCascadia Partners is honored to lead a multidisciplinary team including Corvus Design, SALT, and DOWL to guide the City & Borough of Juneau's Comprehensive Plan Update, framed around scenario planning with inclusive public engagement.
• GreenworksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreenworks served as design lead for the Vance Open Space Plan engagement, with Cascadia Partners leading the engagement strategy for the 40-acre park and recreation space in Multnomah County's Rockwood neighborhood.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• MIG, Inc. Berkeley, CA-based multidisciplinary planning, engagement, and design firm serving public agencies nationwide. Comparable services include comprehensive planning, zoning code work, real estate feasibility, community engagement, and climate planning — though at significantly larger scale.
• HR&A Advisors: New York-based real estate and economic development advisory firm serving public agencies and mission-driven organizations. Highly comparable on real estate feasibility, public-private partnerships, equitable development strategy, and public sector advisory.
• FCS Group: Oregon-based public finance and feasibility consultancy that partners with Cascadia on housing needs analyses and similar projects. Comparable B2G/government client base with overlapping work on financial feasibility, housing policy, and infrastructure planning.
• Opticos Design: Berkeley-based planning and architecture firm specializing in form-based codes, missing middle housing, and zoning reform — directly overlapping Cascadia's middle housing code work, including the same states (Oregon, California).
• ECONorthwest: Portland, OR-based economic and planning consulting firm serving government agencies across the Pacific Northwest. Highly comparable on B2G model, regional focus, and service mix (housing economics, land use, scenario planning).
• PlaceWorks: California-based planning, design, and engagement firm serving municipal and regional agencies. Comparable services across comprehensive planning, zoning, specific plans, real estate strategy, and equitable engagement for public sector clients.
• Dover, Kohl & Partners: Miami-based town planning firm focused on new urbanism, form-based codes, and downtown/master planning. Lead consultant on the Missoula Downtown Plan alongside Cascadia; direct overlap on downtown planning and code reform mandates.
• Community Builders: Colorado-based planning and community development firm that partners with Cascadia on multiple projects (Grand Junction, Coeur d'Alene, Wyoming). Direct overlap on equitable community engagement, downtown revitalization, and state-level zoning best practices work.
• Leland Consulting Group: Portland-based real estate and planning advisory firm serving public agencies and developers. Direct overlap on real estate feasibility, P3 structuring, downtown revitalization, and developer-offering work for municipalities.

Broad incumbents

• Design Workshop: Larger, established landscape architecture, planning, and urban design firm with offices across the Western U.S. Overlaps Cascadia on master planning, urban design, and real estate strategy but operates at broader scale and with deeper bench.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cascadia-partners-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 Cascadia Partners