Municipal Services

Planning expertise and flexible municipal support, tailored to your community's needs

Re:Public, founded in 2017, is a planning and design consultancy specializing in community planning, policy development, urban design, and engagement. We are a boutique team of seven and we believe that the best planning outcomes come from close collaboration, genuine curiosity about place, and solutions that are crafted for the project in front of us rather than pulled from a shelf.

Who We Are

Our Services

  • We provide flexible development review support to help municipalities manage development applications efficiently and consistently. Whether augmenting staff capacity or leading the review process, we ensure applications are evaluated thoroughly and in accordance with municipal policies and provincial legislation.

    Services include:

    • Complete application review and circulation

    • Planning analysis and policy conformity review

    • Preparation of staff reports and recommendations

    • Site plan, subdivision, and consent review

    • Coordination with applicants and technical agencies

    • Pre-consultation with applicants

    • Virtual attendance at Council, Committee, and public meetings

    • Development agreement review and implementation support

  • We help municipalities prepare and update planning policy that responds to provincial direction, growth pressures, and local needs, with clear, practical frameworks that staff can effectively implement.

    Services include:

    • Official Plan preparation and updates

    • Zoning By-law reviews and comprehensive updates

    • Community Improvement Plans (CIPs)

    • Secondary Plans and area-specific policies

    • Housing and growth policy

    • Provincial policy conformity reviews

  • We provide independent, objective reviews of planning applications and technical studies, offering clear, defensible advice that helps municipalities navigate complex applications and make informed decisions with confidence, and ensuring submissions meet legislative and policy requirements.

    Services include:

    • Review of Planning Rationale Reports

    • Urban design review

    • Environmental and technical study review

    • Transportation and servicing report review

    • Development application peer review

    • Independent planning assessments

    • Recommendations for conditions of approval

  • Our experienced planners provide expert evidence and strategic support throughout Ontario Land Tribunal proceedings, working with legal counsel to deliver clear, defensible planning arguments grounded in policy and evidence.

    Services include:

    • Expert witness testimony

    • Witness statement preparation

    • Case preparation & policy analysis

    • Participation in mediation

    • Hearing representation

  • We provide ongoing planning support that integrates seamlessly with municipal teams, helping manage workloads and maintain responsiveness.

    Services include:

    • Front-line planning support, responding to applicant and public inquiries

    • Managing planning applications from intake through review

    • Coordinating circulation and preparing planning comments

  • We help municipalities plan for sustainable growth by developing strategies that balance housing, employment, infrastructure, and community priorities.

    Services include:

    • Growth management strategies

    • Land needs assessments

    • Settlement area reviews

    • Housing needs analysis

    • Employment land strategies

    • Long-range planning studies

    • Population and development forecasting

  • We work with municipalities to improve planning processes, increase efficiency, and modernize service delivery while maintaining transparency and accountability.

    Services include:

    • Development review process improvements

    • Planning workflow assessments

    • By-law administration reviews

    • Service delivery modernization

    • Organizational and governance reviews

    • Standard operating procedures

    • Performance metrics and implementation plans

  • We provide hands-on GIS and mapping support tailored to municipal planning needs, from maintaining and improving internal data systems to creating clear, accessible tools for staff, Council, and the public.

    Services include:

    • Official Plan and zoning map updates and remapping

    • GIS file management, organization, and database maintenance

    • Creation of interactive maps and public-facing dashboards

    • Custom mapping for planning studies, reports, and Council materials

    • Spatial analysis to support growth management, land use, and policy decisions

    • Data visualization and story maps for engagement and communication

  • Engagement should be purposeful, efficient, and directly connected to decision-making. We design and facilitate consultation processes that gather clear, actionable input, meet legislative requirements, and support staff and Council in making informed decisions.

    Services include:

    • Public engagement strategies

    • Community workshops and open houses

    • Online engagement

    • Partner and rightsholder consultation

    • Facilitation and meeting design

    • Surveys and feedback analysis

    • Engagement summaries and reporting

Every municipality has its own priorities, capacity, and challenges. At Re:Public, we tailor our services to fit your community, not the other way around. Whether you need additional planning capacity, support with development review, strategic policy advice, or leadership on complex projects, we work as an extension of your team to deliver practical, implementable solutions grounded in real municipal experience.

Why Municipalities Choose Re:Public

Experience on Both Sides of the Table

Our team brings senior-level experience from both municipal planning and private consulting. We understand how projects move through municipal processes, how decisions are made, and what it takes to deliver practical, implementable outcomes for Council, staff, applicants, and communities

Built Around Your Community's Needs

We don't believe in one-size-fits-all planning. Whether you need ongoing planning support, peer review, or assistance delivering a major project, we adapt our services to your team's needs and integrate seamlessly into your existing processes.

Multidisciplinary and Collaborative

Our multidisciplinary team combines expertise in planning, urban design, engagement, GIS, placemaking, and economic strategy to develop thoughtful, implementable solutions. By bringing together diverse perspectives, we help municipalities address complex challenges with confidence and clarity.

Direct Access to Senior Expertise

As a boutique consultancy, we're responsive, collaborative, and easy to work with. Our clients have direct access to senior staff, timely communication, and a team that is invested in their success from beginning to end.

Communities We Have Worked With

  • Logo for SDG Counties featuring stylized colorful leaves and text for Stormont, Dundas, Glengarry.
  • Seal of the Municipality of Central Elgin featuring fish, water waves, and the text 'Municipality of Central Elgin'.
  • Cornwall Ontario Canada logo
  • Kingston logo featuring a stylized blue spire monument above the word "KINGSTON" and three wavy lines representing water.
  • Sign for the township of South Stormont in blue and white colors.
  • Logo for North Stormont Township featuring a stylized landscape with a blue water droplet, a green hill, and a yellow path, with the text 'Township of North Stormont, A good place to grow'.
  • Logo for Elgin County featuring stylized green, blue, and orange abstract shapes above the text 'Elgin County' in blue and green.
  • Coat of arms with a red maple leaf at the top, divided into four sections: a black lighthouse on yellow, a black cross on yellow, a red flame on yellow, and a black train on blue water at the bottom, with a red ribbon banner reading "Casselman".
  • Hawkesbury logo with stylized blue and green elements.
  • Green landscape with a river and a large dome-shaped structure in the background.

Get in Touch

A black and white photo of a middle-aged man with glasses and stylized hair, smiling slightly, outdoors with blurred trees and foliage in the background.

Paul Hicks
Partner | Urban Planner
hicks@republicurbanism.com