Applied Social Innovation

Urban Matters CCC was created to help communities deliver tangible solutions to help people live happier and healthier lives.

Our team works with governments, social entrepreneurs and socially-conscious business leaders to identify, introduce and scale innovations in communities that address complex social issues.

We combine 40+ years of community development experience with social planning and social finance methodologies to achieve results.

Change is hard — we can help.

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Our Stories

Urban Matters CCC and BC Non-Profit Housing Association announce Reframe Housing Competition winners at the Housing Central conference in Vancouver.

Nov 30, 2018 | 0 Comments

What does it take to bring innovative housing ideas together to imagine the future of community housing in Canada? A competition, of course. Starting in June 2018, a brand new community housing competition called the Reframe Housing Competition (Reframe) invited...

Urban Matters CCC and BC Non-Profit Housing Association announce Reframe Housing Competition winners at the Housing Central conference in Vancouver.

Nov 30, 2018 | 0 Comments

Access for Everyone, Everywhere All the Time

Nov 14, 2018 | 0 Comments

City of Lethbridge Creating New Masterplan for Inclusive Design It was an unusual sight: Lethbridge city officials and consultants wandering around outside city hall, some blindfolded and holding canes, some in wheelchairs, all struggling. A local reporter who just...

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what we’re working on

Pender Harbour Health Centre Needs Assessment

Urban Matters CCC in 2017 to 2018 supported the Pender Harbour Health Centre in completing a needs assessment to identify and assess opportunities for expansion of health services in Pender Harbour. The needs assessment process was engagement-oriented, including over 25 interviews with key stakeholders, as well as an open house component.

OGO Car Share Co-Op

OGO, or the Okanagan Car Share Co-Operative, is a car sharing service based in Kelowna, BC. Launched in 2013, Urban Matters CCC ‘cut its teeth’ in social venture development and incubation with OGO, supporting its early development by creatively getting its very first vehicle on the road and successively negotiating with other public vehicle fleets in the Community to further develop the vehicle inventory. OGO has grown from 2 cars and 35 members in 2013, to 13 vehicles and over 450 members today. We were most recently involved with its successful merger with Modo CarShare (out of Vancouver, Victoria, and Nanaimo) to effectively scale its impact. In addition to these highlights, we supported OGO throughout its development with office space, network access and governance support.

Aboriginal Friendship Centres of Saskatchewan Entrepreneurship Workshops

In 2016 Urban Matters CCC conducted workshops in indigenous communities in Saskatchewan to test an “in-reach” approach to training and capacity building. Urban Matters CCC developed the concept in partnership with the BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres and the Aboriginal Friendship Centres of Saskatchewan, and all supported prototyping activities with workshops in Indigenous communities.

Purppl

Between 2015 and 2017 Urban Matters CCC partnered with Andrew Greer (then of Accelerate Okanagan, a tech accelerator) to support the development and launch of Purppl (PURposeful PeoPLe, www.purppl.com), a social enterprise accelerator. Urban Matters CCC provided early seed funding, mentorship, facilities and equipment, credibility, as well as access to the Urban’s network of potential clients in municipalities and NGOs.

City of Vancouver Homeless Count

Urban Matters CCC in 2018 participated in panning and delivering the 2018 Vancouver Homeless Count, alongside many other partners. Urban Matters has supported survey development, survey planning and coordination, and is leading data analysis and report development.

Universal Access Design

In 2017 Urban Matters CCC partnered with Stan Leyenhorst (formerly of the Rick Hansen Foundation) to support the development of Universal Access Design Inc. (www.uadi.ca), an accessibility consulting and education social venture. Aspiring toward ‘Access for Everyone, Everywhere, All the Time’ Urban Matters CCC provided early stage financial support, mentorship, social venture development expertise, network access and development building, partnership on funded projects together and some early sales development through Urban’s deep connectivity in sectors related to the built environment.

City of Richmond Homelessness Strategy Update

Along with BC Non-Profit Housing Association Urban Matters CCC is working with the City of Richmond to update their Homelessness Strategy. The stakeholder focused – co-creation project will focus on gap analyses, best practices reviews and finally strategy development.