MODUS turns ten — looking back and forward

2024 marked MODUS’ ten year anniversary and as we ring in the New Year, we wanted to share a few reflections from the last decade and look ahead to consider the possible challenges and opportunities to come.

Where we’ve been

A decade ago, five colleagues who had already been working together closely at HB Lanarc and Golder’s Sustainable Communities Group, started MODUS - Daniella Fergusson, Joaquin Karakas, Peter Whitelaw, Vince Verlaan and Rob Barrs were soon joined by Laurel Cowan. We were passionate about community planning, sustainability, placemaking, and engagement. We chose the name MODUS (from Modus Operandi) because we believed back then, as we still do, that our process (i.e. how we do the work, collaborate and engage people) is the key for moving from insight to impact, creating successful projects and making positive change in our communities. Most of the original group has moved on to do impressive work elsewhere in the Province. Sole survivor Rob was joined by Edward Porter as a fellow principal in 2018 and together they have continued to lead the firm as our team has grown and evolved, staying true to our roots and values.

At our annual retreat last summer, we took a retrospective look at the past decade. To our surprise, we’ve completed almost 600 projects, worked in at least one-third of BC municipalities, and supported over 200 different clients. We’ve had the privilege to work with a number of First Nation communities as indigenous peoples assert their rights and take control of land and development practices. We’ve helped developers (for profit and non-profit) navigate complex site planning and approvals. We’ve supported non-profit organizations like the Naramata Centre, Pacific Salmon Foundation and Mahubay House with strategic planning initiatives. And we’ve helped dozens of municipalities complete Official Community Plans, neighbourhood plans and most recently supported communities to quickly navigate Provincially mandated bylaw amendments and Transit Oriented Area plans.

We’re proud of our body of work over these 10 years but some notable successes stand out:

Working alongside lead consultant Perkins Will, we led an extensive tenant and public engagement process for the redevelopment of BC Housing’s Skeena Terrace. The engagement process (much of it delivered during the Covid-19 pandemic) supported the design of a new community that will deliver 1700 much-needed rental housing units in East Vancouver.
So many Official Community Plans! OCPs are a mainstay of our work and often provide the opportunity for some real community innovation - for example, one of Modus’ first projects was a new OCP for the Town of Gibsons which focused most growth in existing developed areas and embedded a Municipal Natural Assets approach into policy. More recently, North Cowichan’s OCP kept growth tightly focussed while applying a social and climate lens to policy and an ecological lens to economic development. We’re excited to be working with Surrey, Chilliwack, the District of North Vancouver and Oak Bay on their OCPs in 2025.
Collaborating with the Sts'ailes First Nation, we’ve supported their efforts to plan major infrastructure and facilities on-reserve, as they continue to welcome children and families home. We've also been supporting the development of a territorial land use plan, advancing the Nation's ability to assert their rights within the entirety of their traditional territory.
And just the other week, we wrapped up a unique project: reGENERATE is a Bold Vision for the neighbourhood around 22nd Street SkyTrain station in New Westminster. We gathered bold new ideas from the community near and far and integrated these into the vision.

And as we carry out this work, we’re proud to be a living wage employer, climate smart certified, carbon neutral and a certified B-Corp.

Over the last ten years, our work has gradually evolved from unique (perhaps more siloed) roles in planning, design or engagement to a greater emphasis on fully integrated projects with MODUS often taking a lead/coordination role for large multidisciplinary teams. Today, our team of 15 is leading dozens of projects across the Province and occasionally further afield. To an individual, they’re all keen, creative, committed and diligent. Their depth of care and integrity – both personal and professional – is the bedrock of our culture, the backbone of our work.

In this time of intense focus on housing supply and Provincially-mandated targets, some may think that planning is becoming more formulaic. Some suggest: “it’s not rocket science.” We answer: “nope, it’s way harder than that.” After all, we’re dealing with a web of complex relationships and, at times, competing priorities, not predictable orbits and a clear landing spot. What makes the work particularly challenging – and endlessly absorbing – is the shifting ground, the evolving goals, and the froth of public life and governance that planning operates within.

In this dynamic ‘ecosystem’ of community planning that we’re part of, the ‘keystone species’ of our great clients and collaborators shape the professional space and communities alike. The ‘fertile ground’ of place, story, knowledge and insight feeds so many opportunities for the community to grow and thrive. Our ‘connected network’ of amazing staff and colleagues make the ‘life science’ of it all – and the hard work and long hours – a pleasure to practice.

After ten years, we still find the most compelling, impactful and ultimately successful work nurtures and draws from the wellspring of community knowledge and a group of valued clients. We’re more excited than ever to be part of this good work.

Where we’re going

“Turning ten” has prompted many discussions about where we’ve been. We’ve also been exploring where the world is going, and our role within it. Some things we’ve been talking about include:

As economic structures shift and cost-of-living continues to rise, how might we tackle affordability crises, increase capacity for community building, and stay nimble to economic shifts?
As the impacts of climate change intensify, how might we cultivate resilience, increase collaboration, strengthen climate action, and maintain hope for our future?
As populations across the world rapidly age, and BC’s population grows and becomes more diverse, how might we continue to strengthen inter-cultural practices, accommodate changing needs, and support aging communities?
As the pace and reach of technology continues to accelerate at newfound speeds, how do we leverage technology with more intention and purpose? How do we “stay human” and “stay focused” in an increasingly technological and distracted world?
As societies experience increasing insecurity, uncertainty and social fragmentation, how might we nurture trust, support social connection, and navigate uncertainty together, with grace?

We continue to surface these questions in our conversations and work with clients, colleagues and community, learning by doing, sharing lessons and connecting the dots. Reflecting on ten years of good work and looking forward to ten more, it's the collaboration and connection with people who know and love the community that keep us enlivened and hopeful.