Each year, we set aside a day to do something simple yet powerful: we show up.
We roll up our sleeves and work with volunteer groups within our communities, to give back where we can. Our Day of Giving is about more than volunteering, it’s about connection. It’s a moment when every member of our company steps into their community not as a surveyor, advisor, or planner, but as a neighbour.
2024 marked our 11th Day of Giving, and over time, one thing has become increasingly clear: our people are why this global initiative excels. They bring forward causes they care deeply about, choosing projects that reflect the character and the needs of their communities. By being present in these efforts, we can help shape our local areas in meaningful, lasting ways.
Placemaking is often defined as a collaborative approach to designing and activating public spaces in a way that maximizes the shared value to communities. Put simply, it’s about creating places that support people physically, mentally, and culturally.
As a company that helps shape the built environment, our work is inherently place-based. Volunteering is a natural extension of our placemaking mission as it allows us to show up differently in the places we serve in our everyday work, building connection and community.
Some of our strongest partnerships? Born from personal relationships. In our New York City office, Alan Schwartz connected his team with a representative from Citymeals on Wheels. The non-profit organization, founded in 1981 by noted author and food critic Gael Greene, has served and delivered over 70 million meals to elderly New Yorkers in all five boroughs. Mostly funded through private donations, Citymeals receives significant support from the CRE industry. What initially started as a conversation regarding our potential to volunteer our time, grew into multiple volunteering events, including the packaging of 5,440 meals during this year’s Day of Giving. This was not a random choice – Alan recommended Citymeals because he believes in their impact and trusts their leadership.
When our team members choose to serve in places they know and care about, they contribute to both the physical environment and the culture of that space. Beautifying a park, helping restore a local facility, supporting access to food or healthcare – these actions shape the everyday experience of a community. These are not random acts of service; they are acts of care, rooted in local knowledge and long-standing relationships. This is true placemaking.
We empower our teams to choose opportunities that:
When Fraser Hulbert volunteered to be a Day of Giving ambassador, he had a vision to support Wandsworth Council. As his local council and an existing client, it was a clear choice. On the council’s recommendation, Fraser organised to spend the day with Paradise Cooperative, a community garden providing educational opportunities, supporting sustainable practices, and feeding locals. Our group of 20 volunteers tended to gardens, re-painted sheds, and turned compost. This was an opportunity to meet not only the needs of the council but for many of our volunteers to make difference to where they live.
Day of Giving is more than a corporate initiative – it is a locally led, deeply personal act of engagement. Our people are not only giving time – they’re giving knowledge, trust, and care to the communities they call home.
Placemaking is most effective when grounded in familiarity and respect. We step into places not just to help, but to learn and to grow relationships that last long after the day ends. And we demonstrate our commitment by showing up, year after year.
For the Friends of Fog Lane Park in Manchester, U.K., our time and manpower have been impactful across multiple years. Born out of our work with The Christie NHS Foundation Trust – the largest single-site cancer centre in Europe – Fog Lane Park continues to be an important cause for our Manchester team. As the closest green space to the hospital, Fog Lane is a place for patients and staff alike to rest and recharge. For the Friends of Fog Lane Park, a volunteer community group, the additional manpower from the Day of Giving helps to accomplish larger projects that might otherwise be unviable. 2024 was our second year at Fog Lane, helping to rebuild paths and plant new vegetation to reduce surface water flooding. And we’re already planning our return in 2025.
While the Day of Giving is a hallmark of our volunteer efforts, we often find that one day simply isn’t enough. Our Edmonton office, for example, organizes quarterly volunteer days and seasonal initiatives to stay engaged with their community. Each November, the Edmonton Good Neighbour Committee – made up of two Principals, our Operations Manager, and our Administrative Coordinator – gathers to plan for the coming year. They reflect on what matters most to our team, the partnerships we've built over time, and meaningful ways to support our clients' missions.
This spring, they chose to support a local YWCA camp, helping prepare the site for its busy summer season. The YWCA is also a client of ours, and the committee reached out to offer support. Between fire clearing and cabin painting, our volunteers spent the day ensuring the camp would be ready to welcome families in the months ahead.
Across the seasons, our Edmonton team continues to show up. In the summer, they’ve participated in Root for Trees, planting trees and other Indigenous plant species in Edmonton’s river valley. In the fall, they mobilized team members to spend the Day of Giving at the Edmonton Food Bank. During the winter holidays, they organized a toy drive for the Ronald McDonald House – a charity that provides temporary accommodation to families of seriously ill children who are receiving treatment at nearby hospitals, continuing a relationship that began with preparing meals for families in years past. They also held a cash fundraiser, with proceeds donated to Free Play – a not-for-profit organization that provides free, inclusive, and accessible sports and recreation programs for children and young people in Edmonton, particularly those who may face barriers to participation. Each act contributes to something larger – a deep, ongoing commitment to people, place, and purpose.
At the heart of every space are the people who make it come alive. Our Day of Giving creates space for our employees to lead, connect, and give back in ways that matter deeply to them.
As our industry continues to think more critically about how we contribute to the social fabric of communities, we believe that being present, responsive, and rooted in relationships is how we truly build places that last. Not just physically, but socially and emotionally.
We build community by being in community, and when our people show up with care, purpose, and passion, real impact follows.
