Our Firm
Founded in 2006, R+A provides a range of consulting services that support healthy, sustainable, and equitable communities. Our work includes General Plans and comprehensive plans for cities and counties, corridor and downtown plans, zoning codes and design guidelines, health policy, climate action plans, social research, and program evaluation. Over the years, we have developed a national reputation for creating visionary and forward-looking plans, conducting authentic community engagement, incorporating health and equity into planning projects, promoting sustainable neighborhoods, and preparing plans that balance vision with market realities. In recognition of our approach, R+A wins awards for many of our projects and received the prestigious APA Award for National Emerging Planning and Design Firm of the year.
Our Mission
Working collaboratively with our clients, R+A harnesses our passion and expertise to foster healthy, equitable, and resilient communities through planning, urban design, applied research, authentic community engagement, and policy development.
Our History
After working at several San Francisco Bay Area planning and design firms, Matt Raimi founded Raimi + Associates in 2006 with a mission to focus on creating healthy, sustainable, and equitable communities. Some of the firm’s first projects include the City of South Gate, CA General Plan (which was one of the first form-based General Plans in the country and included a stand-alone health element), technical assistance to the US Green Building Council for LEED for Neighborhood Development, and co-writing a policy document on how to create and implement healthy General Plans. These projects established the firm as a leader in innovative General Plans, health and the built environment, sustainable neighborhoods, and community engagement.
Throughout the years, our firm has grown adding staff and new areas of expertise. In partnership with Sargent Town Planning, we opened our Los Angeles office in 2009, a partnership we maintain to this day. In 2010, we opened an office in Riverside, CA. We have had the great fortune to have a number of long-tenured staff who provide creativity, leadership, and stability to the company.
As our firm grew, we also expanded our services beyond comprehensive planning and policy to include urban design and master planning, form-based codes, climate action and adaptation plans, health impact assessments, healthy development checklists, strategic planning, graphic design, and program evaluation. While much of our work is in our home state of California, we have managed to work on a wide variety of exciting projects across the country, including Washington, DC, Philadelphia (PA), Gary (IN), Louisville (KY), Austin (TX), Nashville (TN), Aurora (CO), Beaverton (OR), and Honolulu (HI).
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Looking forward, there are great challenges and opportunities for our profession. Climate change, better understanding of structural and institutional racism and its impact on planning, driverless vehicles, and new communications technologies will change both how we work and how cities are planned. Regardless of the changes ahead, we will continue to remain true to our vision: a world where everyone - regardless of race, income, gender and sexual orientation, religion, or immigration status - has the opportunity to live in healthy, safe, sustainable, and equitable communities.