Services

Our unique collection of services combine our proven methods of inclusive city building to help you create more vibrant streets and public spaces.

Unconventional Engagement

Everyone has a voice, we provide the megaphone. Our expertise is in creating unconventional engagement strategies that get people informed, involved, and excited about new initiatives in their cities.

Our goal is to help create resilient communities where people are actively engaged and fairly represented in their city—to do this we need to involve as many perspectives as possible in the process of city building.

Traditional methods of public consultation (like 7pm meetings at City Hall) tend to attract a narrow segment of the population. That’s why we focus on playful, imaginative, and approachable engagement activities that attract a wide range of stakeholders.

We will help you:

Set and meet ambitious targets for engaging new, diverse, and underrepresented groups in your community.
Learn some tried and tested techniques for empowering citizens in the decision-making process.
Build a coalition of supporters and momentum for public space improvement projects.

Let's Talk

Featured Projects:

Historic Northwest Rising

Historic Northwest Rising is a unique community engagement initiative with the objective to prototype community ideas to inform a ...

West Palm Beach, FL (U.S.)

TAGS Community Engagement Tactical Urbanism Neighborhood Planning Cultural Planning

#Biketoria

The City of Victoria has committed to building an All Ages and Abilities (AAA) bike network by 2018. As part of an international t...

Victoria, BC (Canada)

TAGS Community Engagement Biking Minimum Grid

Idea Labs

Changing cities starts by harnessing exceptional new ideas and taking action. That’s what 8 80 Idea Labs are all about.

We offer half-day and full day interactive sessions that involve knowledge-sharing with you and your team (the more diverse, the better!) and guides you through a process to generate new ideas and doable projects for your community.

Our global experience lets us bring fresh perspectives and the latest international practices that will enable renewed thinking about your city. Our city-building approach–which is to create resilient communities where all people are actively engaged and fairly represented in the public realm–helps to shift conventional viewpoints and open minds to innovative concepts.

We will help you:

Think outside the box when it comes to the possibilities for public space transformation in your community.
Identify short-term doable projects that produce quick wins and help build public support for public space transformations.
Build capacity to see projects through to successful implementation.

Let's Talk

Featured Projects:

Move Detroit: 8 80 Cities Immersion  Week

To connect stakeholders and to build awareness on how all cities can create accessible mobility networks and vibrant public spaces...

Detroit, MI (U.S.)

TAGS Public Space Community Engagement Mobility Networks Accessibility

Healthier and Happier Communities for All

Innovative solutions focused on creating healthier and happier communities....

Parry Sound, ON (Canada)

TAGS Public Space Community Engagement Parks Cycling Infrastructure Open Streets Accessible Walking Facilities Public Transit

Open Streets Planning

We are international experts in Open Streets design and implementation. ‘Open Streets’ are community-based programs that temporarily open selected streets to people, by closing them to cars. Streets become places where people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds can come out and improve their health.

We can help you start or improve an Open Streets program in your city. Our team brings a unique skill set—we are Open Streets practitioners (we help run the Open Streets program in Toronto) with international know-how. This helps us understand your practical needs and challenges, while also allowing us to step-back and provide guidance based on international best practice. We have helped more than 16 cities start their Open Streets programs across North America.

We will help you:

Identify key partners and build the coalition needed to implement an Open Streets program in your community.
Design the optimal route and develop a specialized programming plan based on best practice.
Train staff and volunteers and build a sustainable model for implementation in the long term.

Let's Talk

Featured Projects:

Beach Streets Assessment – Long Beach

Conducting a review and audit of Beach Streets, Long Beach, California’s Open Streets Program....

Long Beach, CA (U.S.)

TAGS Community Engagement Tactical Urbanism Neighborhood Planning Cultural Planning

Open Streets Thunder Bay

8 80 Cities supported the development of an Open Streets program in Thunder Bay to promote walking, and cycling as methods of tran...

Thunder Bay, ON (Canada)

TAGS Biking Open Streets Programming Active Living

Special Projects

We love to break the mold. That’s why we take on Special Projects- these are projects that go beyond our other services. Our Special Projects incubate new strategies and ideas to elevate people-centred urbanism. We develop these projects in collaboration with our partners and clients.

We have developed public awareness campaigns, delivered capacity building Study Tours, developed youth-centered mentorship programs, and produced and published innovative printed and digital resources.

We collaborate for impact. We have built meaningful partnerships with diverse organizations looking to improve the quality of life in their community. Yours could be next!

We will help you:

Catalyze new partnerships and trigger renewed thinking about existing challenges.
Provide inspiration and tools to support the creative process for new city-building ideas.
Move from talking to doing, creating implementation strategies and troubleshooting challenges.

Let's Talk