Announcing our Vancouver Office
We are delighted to announce we are expanding our practice and presence in BC by opening a Vancouver office. Our BC-based team will be led by Holly Sovdi, our newest Urban Planner and Principal at the firm. Holly has worked as a Planner in the private and public sectors, most recently as a Senior Planner with the City of Vancouver, where he led a large team in completion of the APA award-winning West End and Northeast False Creek community plans. We are thrilled to have Holly join us and help us build on the exciting projects we have been undertaking in recent years in the Lower Mainland. Holly will join two of our talented Urban Designers, Kaenat Seth and Ying Li, both based in Vancouver. Many members of our team originally hail from Vancouver, and are excited to have opportunities to participate in BC initiatives.
“This is an opportunity for our team to enrich our practice and continue to learn from the Vancouver city building culture, a culture that advances reconciliation with First Nations and promotes sustainability,” states Melanie Hare, Partner, Lead Planner for the ʔəy̓alməxw/Iy̓álmexw Jericho Lands Comprehensive Development Plan project in Vancouver. It is a privilege and inspiration to be working on this culturally significant site and transformational project. “The process has brought together an exceptional client group, CLC and the MST Partnership, including our Cultural Liaisons from the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations and a world class consultant team to collaborate on how we truly embed indigeneity at the centre of the design for the future ʔəy̓alməxw/Iy̓álmexw Jericho Lands.”
“Our Kingsway Edmonds Revitalization project for BC Housing and the City of Burnaby has demonstrated that getting everyone on the same page when it comes to community benefits, high quality design and sustainability can unlock incredible potential for rapidly evolving urban centres like Burnaby, and ensures development of housing for socioeconomically diverse communities”, remarks Sirous Ghanbar zadeh, Senior Associate.
Warren Price, Partner states: “Simon Fraser University and the University of British Columbia are both at the forefront of redefining how universities support community and leverage city building opportunities. It has been terrific to learn from them and help advance their campus planning objectives.”
“BC’s Lower Mainland has for the past decade experienced an unprecedented pace of change. Vancouver developers such as the Peterson/Create team, with whom we are working on several projects, are responding to the opportunity presented by the region’s investments in higher order transit by proposing exciting, sophisticated master plans that respond to the high expectations of the communities they serve.” states Michel Trocmé, Partner.
Holly Sovdi, our newest Principal states, “I’m thrilled to be joining Urban Strategies, a recognized global leader in city building, to be able to work with communities throughout BC and beyond. Together, we will share ideas and experiences through an integrated, passionate, and highly skilled team from across Canada.”
Skyline banner image: Mike Benna (@mbenna) – Unsplash