A brief timeline of our history.
1986: When architect and planner Frank Lewinberg joined with planner and economist Joe Berridge to establish a planning consultancy, their goals were to work hard, have fun and create better urban environments. These values have translated, 30 years later, into a firm with over 60 staff and an international portfolio.
1988: The firm became Berridge Lewinberg Greenberg when Ken Greenberg joined Frank and Joe (he would remain until 2000).
1994: The surnames of George Dark and Andrea Gabor, partners since 1989, elongated the name of the firm to Berridge Lewinberg Greenberg Dark Gabor.
1998: Many of the senior planners and designers who had allowed the firm to expand its services and geographic reach were ready to take the firm to new heights. The number of Associates grew from three to nine and the firm’s name was changed to Urban Strategies Inc.
2002: The next generation began to take its place at the head of the firm when Cyndi Rottenberg-Walker and CFO Connie Pasqualitto became Partners.
2005: Four more Partners joined the firm’s leadership group – Pino Di Mascio (who remained with the firm until 2018), Melanie Hare, Mark Reid and Michel Trocmé.
2013: Urban designers Warren Price and Eric Turcotte joined the Partnership.
2015: Partner Andrea Gabor, who retired in 2013 due to illness, passed away in December 2015, cutting short her leadership both in the firm and in the industry. Read more about Andrea’s legacy.
2016: With the firm continuing to grow, our leadership team expanded again. Benjamin Hoff, Craig Lametti and Emily Reisman became Partners, and Dennis Lago and Tim Smith were made Principals.
2019: We opened our Collaborative Studio in downtown Hamilton, in a storefront space on James Street North. The studio relocated to 62-34 King Street in 2024.
2020: Laura Shupak, our CFO and Mary Castel became Partners of Urban Strategies, and Christine Fang-Denissov, Leigh McGrath and Josh Neubauer were promoted to the role of Principal.
2021: The firm officially expanded into Vancouver, opening a permanent office with five locally-based team members, working collaboratively with staff in Ontario, on projects in all of our markets.
2022: Christine Fang Denissov, Leigh McGrath and Josh Neubauer joined the Partnership. Yiwen Zhu was promoted to Principal.
2023: Tessa Forrest joined Urban Strategies as a Planning Principal in our Vancouver Studio, and Inger Squires and Sirous Ghanbar zadeh became Principals.
2026: Matt Perotto joined the firm as an Urban Design Principal in our Toronto Studio.
Today, the 23 Partners, Partners Emerita and Principals, supported by numerous Senior Associates, Associates and large staff complement, give the firm the capability to plan and design successful places the world over.