About
Mission & Vision
We believe that urban spaces have long been overlooked, often times manifesting as aesthetically pleasing places that do not champion the activation of the space as a driver for design. Our urban landscape should be one determined by the users who frequent it, prioritizing elements of flexibility, curiosity, anticipation and playfulness.
Restorative urban spaces invite individuals from different cultural and economic backgrounds to an area where social barriers are broken and people can share, interact and explore the many ways that make us human. These spaces act as an essential service that encourages interactions between neighbors, promotes mental and physical wellness, boosts local economies, and increases community attachment within local stakeholders.
Simple Shift Studio is a strategy consulting group focused on the design and development of mixed-use properties. We bring expertise in working with development entities, non-profits, and public sector organizations. Given our strong foundation in urban planning policy, community development, affordable housing development, and project management, our experience translates to community-engaged design and user-centered solutions. Our goal is to offer the best community engagement, comprehensive planning, and development management services toward urban space activation.
To engage, connect, and inspire people through the development of urban space.
Our approach
We bring a wealth of experience and expertise within community engagement, housing development, project management, and space activation solutions. Our interdisciplinary team promotes trust building, humility, project sustainability, and a learn-by-doing philosophy,
We help communities articulate their vision and take action
Whether it is a pocket park activation, a mixed-income housing community, or an arterial corridor strategic plan, we are committed to helping our clients determine their objectives and own future processes. Facilitating important discussions can uncover important ‘why’s’ along the way and lead to reciprocal learning. We aim to empower stakeholders to maintain and own processes long after project completion.
Co-creation is the name of the game
Projects must not only begin with the individual(s) in mind but be designed alongside them. User-centered design work ensures that the wants and needs of real people are highlighted within the product design process. We ensure that community feedback is quantified and that the information is effectively translated to external stakeholders.
We are committed to trust-building and engaging overlooked populations
Without trust, projects are doomed to repeat the past. Innovation begins when strong relationships are formed and sustained within communities. Our team seeks to understand the local context and entrenches itself within the ebbs and flows within a particular space. Through this process, we ensure that overlooked populations are included and welcomed to participate in the design process.
We seek to elevate the craft and execution of our industry
Urbaan space activation has been a buzzword over the past few decades, but many cities have yet to see the direct, sustainable impact of placemaking (and placekeeping) on their’ neighborhoods, districts, and downtown areas. Through new tools, processes, and information, we are excited to bring a fresh perspective to the new urbanism conversation.
Professional Services
Community Engagement
Authentic community engagement is critical to the cultivation of restorative public space. Designing alongside the individual(s) promotes ownership and adoption of the final product, whether that be an art installation placed in a public park, a community pop-up event or a strategic plan. Transmitting data, concepts, and comprehensive strategies into digestible knowledge is our forte. Focusing community feedback into user-centered design work ensures that durable change comes to fruition.
Comprehensive Planning
Restorative urban spaces rely on sage comprehensive planning. Strategic plans leveraging public and private actors can help boost activity and engagement within an area of interest, encourage dynamic uses for a variety of populations, and promote long-term project engagement and sustainability once a project has been completed. Per the desires of a particular community, our group articulates the appropriate level of comprehensive planning and management needed to execute.
Development Management
The space and the experience of a space are choices we can actively make. It is not enough to simply design great places, but to deliberately develop and program urban areas with a calendar of activity that ranges week to week, night vs. day, and between seasons. We oversee all components of a development process, from project conceptualization to permits and approvals to turnover. Based on the needs of our clients, we walk our clients through development processes from end to end.
