+1 (778) 677.6689
kagnello@plassurban.com

Selected Projects

Planning + Design

Rick Hansen Foundation Certified Accessibility Professional
Plassurban’s Director, Kristin Agnello, is now a Rick Hansen Foundation Certified Accessibility Professional. Plassurban focuses on supporting governments and organizations as they navigate the path from simple compliance to meaningful change.
Interim Housing Needs Report
2024-2025
Client: District of Highlands
PIBC Peer Learning Network
2024-2025
Client: Planning Institute of British Columbia
Collaborators: Province of British Columbia, Ministry of Housing
Home suite Home: Guidelines on How to Add and Manage a Secondary Suite or Accessory Dwelling Unit in British Columbia
2023
Client: Province of British Columbia, Ministry of Housing
Collaborators: BC Housing, Canadian Home Builders’ Association of British Columbia, Building Officials’ Association of British Columbia, Union of BC Municipalities, LandlordBC, and the Tenant Resource and Advisory Centre
Awards: Recipient of the Planning Institute of British Columbia’s (PIBC) Gold Award for Excellence in Planning Practice – Cities and Urban Areas
Building Accessibility Handbook
2020
Client: Province of British Columbia, Building Safety Standards Branch
Child in the City: Planning Communities for Children and their Families
2020
Funding Source: BC Housing
Collaborators: BC Housing, City of Victoria, Town of Sidney, Township of Esquimalt, Habitat for Humanity, Rethink Urban, Aryze Developments
Awards: Recipient of the Canadian Institute of Planners’ (CIP) Award of Excellence for Research and the Planning Institute of British Columbia’s (PIBC) Silver Award for Research
Leveraging the Interlinkages: Gender Equality, Women’s Empowerment and the SDGs
2020: A Report for the United Nations 64th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women
Lead Organization: BC Council for International Cooperation
Result: In March, 2020, the BC Council for International Cooperation welcomed Plassurban’s Director, Kristin Agnello, as a member of their delegation for the 64th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW64) in New York City. The 14 delegates worked collectively to draft a report on gender empowerment, women’s equality, and the SDGs for this important event. Ms. Agnello contributed three case studies exploring the relationship between SDG 5: Gender Equality and SDG11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.
Zero to 100: Planning for an Aging Population
2017
Funding Source: BC Housing
Collaborators: BC Housing, City of Victoria, Town of Sidney, District of Central Saanich, Township of Esquimalt, Capital Regional Housing Corporation, District of Sooke, Islands Trust
Awards: Recipient of the Planning Institute of British Columbia Gold Award for Research; Canadian Institute of Planners Award of Merit for Planning Publications and Media; and was named to the Canadian Institute of Planners’ “Top 100 for 100 Book List,” as voted by professional planners across Canada
Strollers and Scooters: Perspectives of a Millennial Planner Living in a Retirement Community
2017
Funding Source: BC Housing
Awards: Recipient the Canadian Institute of Planners Plan Canada Honourable Mention Award for Best Article
Delegate to the World Design Summit in St. Etienne, France
2019
Result: Plassurban’s Director, Kristin Agnello, represented the Commonwealth Association of Planners and the Commonwealth Women in Planning Network at the Design Declaration Summit in St. Etienne, France. The Summit was devoted to developing three key projects:
— Establishing metrics and collecting data and case studies to more effectively communicate the value of design;
— Supporting development of national and regional design policies;
— Fostering development, recognition, support and funding for design education and research, including development of new formats for design education curricula.
Commonwealth Women in Planning Manifesto
2018
Organization: Commonwealth Association of Planners
Result: In 2018, the Commonwealth Association of Planners reformed the Commonwealth Women in Planning Network to explore issues of gender in the built environment.  Led by Kristin Agnello, the first initiative of this Network was to develop a Manifesto, which would outline the impact and importance of considering the needs of women living and working in the built environment. The Commonwealth Women in Planning Manifesto represents the world’s first international planning commitment to considering and advancing gender equality through the built environment and its professions. Created in collaboration with over 35 women from 11 countries, the Manifesto addresses several of the Sustainable Development Goals, including Gender Equality (SDG 5), Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11) and Partnerships for the Goals (SDG 17). 
The Commonwealth Women in Planning Manifesto was fully endorsed by the Commonwealth Association of Planners on October 14, 2018 at their Biennial Business Meeting in Cape Town, South Africa.  This Manifesto has garnered the attention and support of numerous organizations, including UN-Habitat, Women in Cities International, Women Transforming Cities, and Women in Planning (UK). To date, the Manifesto has been further endorsed by the Canadian Institute of Planners, the Royal Town Planning Institute, the Barbados Town Planning Society, and the Ghana Institute of Planners.
Unbuild the Wall
2017
Project: International Design Competition
Result: Plassurban placed 3rd in the Unbuild the Wall international design competition, the only Canadian entry to place in the top 10. Plassurban’s entry questions the validity of creating separation and segregation between cultures through borders and walls. When we remove structures of division and replace them with spaces for peaceful collaboration, we all benefit.
The Implementation of the Principles of Planned
Urbanization: a UN-Habitat approach to sustainable urban development

2016
Client: UN Habitat
Result: Plassurban completed an editorial review for a working paper on sustainable urbanization on behalf of Un Habitat. By 2050, 70% of the world’s population will live in cities. Our goal at Plassurban is to help make this transition a sustainable one
Mapping out a Brighter Future
2016
Client: Tanzania Development Trust
Result: Plassurban assisted the Tanzania Development Trust by mapping rural villages, fresh water sources, dispensaries, and clinics. TDT is focusing its efforts on the geolocation of previously unmapped villages in an attempt to help aid workers locate and assist women and girls at high risk of FGM. To date, over 300 girls have been assisted in accessing safe houses and protective services as a direct result of the TDT’s efforts. Plassurban is proud to be a part of this worthwhile initiative!