We help organizations move community-serving projects from idea to implementation.
Who We Work With
One practice. Multiple paths to implementation.
A3 works with public institutions, mission-driven organizations, and project sponsors that want to move community-serving projects forward with more clarity, stronger alignment, and less avoidable friction.
Public Institutions
We help local governments meet federal requirements, access funding, and build planning processes that earn community trust — and hold up under scrutiny.
Mission-Driven Organizations
We support organizations working on community-serving initiatives by clarifying priorities, strengthening messaging, and identifying resources that can help ideas advance.
Project Sponsors
We reduce the planning risk on your projects — identifying opposition early, designing participation processes that build real support, and producing documentation that moves approvals forward.
About A3
A multidisciplinary team focused on strategy, funding, and implementation.
A3 Planning is a planning-led multidisciplinary practice founded by a licensed urban and territorial planner and supported by a collaborative network of professionals.
Our work brings together experience in public policy, community and social development, planning, systems integration, and cross-sector collaboration spanning federal, state, and nonprofit contexts.
Depending on the needs of each project, we collaborate with planners, engineers, architects, and other specialists to provide thoughtful, practical, and context-responsive support.
The A3 Method
A clear framework for moving work forward.
Our approach helps clients clarify the challenge, strengthen the path, and reduce unnecessary friction along the way.
Answer
Know what matters
We identify priorities, constraints, opportunities, and community context so the work starts with the right questions and a sharper frame.
Augment
Amplify your team
We support teams with strategy, communication, and decision tools that improve capacity without replacing human judgment.
Accelerate
Reduce friction
We streamline repetitive tasks, reporting, and workflow friction so more energy goes toward implementation instead of administrative churn.
Founder Note
Julianne Talavera
Grounded in purpose, designed for action.
A3 Planning was shaped by lived experience. After my grandmother began using a wheelchair, everyday outings made visible how many spaces, streets, and services are still not designed with dignity, ease, and accessibility in mind.
That experience stayed with me. It deepened my belief that planning should do more than imagine better places — it should help make them possible. A3 was created to support communities, organizations, and public-serving institutions with thoughtful strategy, practical direction, and a stronger path toward implementation.
Julianne Talavera, Founder
What We Do
Selected services
We help communities navigate the technical, regulatory, and human dimensions of transportation and planning from federal compliance to community voice.
ADA Transition Plans
Practical accessibility planning for public entities that need to identify barriers, organize priorities, and support ADA Title II implementation across programs, facilities, and public infrastructure.
Best fit: agencies seeking to improve accessibility, organize implementation priorities, and strengthen funding readiness.
ADA Transition Plans
Typical scope
- Accessibility self-evaluation for public programs, services, facilities, and public right-of-way conditions
- Barrier inventories for sidewalks, curb ramps, crossings, intersections, transit stops, and related access points
- GIS-based documentation, maps, and prioritization support
- Phased implementation actions, responsible parties, planning-level cost considerations, and funding alignment
- Public involvement and coordination with disability communities and agency partners
Public Participation Plans
Participation strategies that help planning teams communicate clearly, reach affected communities, document input, and support transparent decision-making for transportation and community planning processes.
Best fit: federally funded or public-facing planning processes that need clear outreach, documentation, and recurring updates.
Public Participation Plans
Typical scope
- PPP design aligned with transportation planning requirements, including 23 CFR 450.316 where applicable
- Outreach strategies for Title VI, limited English proficiency, disability, and affected communities
- Bilingual materials, meeting formats, surveys, stakeholder coordination, and engagement tools
- Measurement frameworks to document participation, comments, and response themes
- Compliance-support documentation and update cycles for agencies and project teams
Local Transportation Plans
Local mobility plans that help communities assess existing conditions, identify needs, coordinate with agencies, and define short-, mid-, and long-range transportation actions.
Best fit: communities that need a phased strategy to support programming, funding readiness, and implementation.
Local Transportation Plans
Typical scope
- Inventory of existing transportation facilities and operating conditions
- Assessment of system deficiencies, access gaps, safety considerations, and future needs
- Short-range, mid-range, and long-range action strategies
- Land use implications, planning-level cost considerations, and implementation steps
- Public, agency, MPO, transit provider, and state DOT coordination
Corridor Plans
Corridor strategies for priority streets, roads, transit routes, or transportation facilities where access, safety, congestion, growth, or context-sensitive issues require coordinated action.
Best fit: corridors that need alternatives analysis, public discussion, and a defensible planning process.
Corridor Plans
Typical scope
- Definition of the study corridor, planning context, and transportation problem
- Purpose and need statement to guide alternatives and decision-making
- Development and evaluation of corridor improvement alternatives
- Evaluation criteria such as land use, environmental effects, community concerns, cost, capacity, and effectiveness
- Preferred course of action, implementation steps, and agency coordination
Transit-Oriented Development
TOD, station area, and transit corridor planning that connects land use, access, housing, public space, and economic activity around rail, bus, ferry, or other major transit nodes.
Best fit: places seeking to prepare for transit-supportive growth and improve station or corridor access.
Transit-Oriented Development
Typical scope
- TOD readiness assessments for rail, bus, BRT, ferry, or major transit corridors
- Station area and approximate 10-minute walk or half-mile walkshed analysis
- Land use, zoning, density, parking, and development opportunity mapping
- Walkability, pedestrian access, public realm, and first/last-mile recommendations
- Stakeholder coordination and implementation roadmaps for transit-supportive places
Spatial Analysis & Decision Tools
GIS, cartography, visual storytelling, and decision-support tools that turn complex place-based information into maps, summaries, and materials people can use.
Best fit: teams that need clear maps, summaries, and decision materials to communicate and act with confidence.
Spatial Analysis & Decision Tools
Typical scope
- GIS analysis, mapping, and professional cartography for planning documents
- Project screening, prioritization, and readiness tools
- Decision dashboards, summaries, and implementation visuals
- Grant application maps, narratives, and supporting materials
- Clear communication products for agencies, boards, funders, and communities
How to Start
Getting started is simple. Three steps to move from idea to impact.
Book a conversation
Tell us about your project goals and challenges.
We build your plan
Our team designs a tailored strategy with community input.
Execute with confidence
Implement with ongoing support and measurable outcomes.
Start Here
Get a free funding snapshot.
Receive a free summary of potential funding sources and other relevant opportunities connected to your project idea.
A lightweight analysis designed to help you see what resources may be available before committing to a deeper engagement.
What's Included
Potential funding and grant pathways
Relevant public, nonprofit, or institutional resources
Early implementation considerations