HDR is expanding its multidisciplinary team of urban and regional planners by acquiring Calthorpe Associates, based in Berkeley, California. Going forward, the firm will do business as HDR|Calthorpe.
Calthorpe Associates is internationally recognized for innovative leadership in regional planning, urban design, and transit-oriented development. Since 1983, the company has assisted public and private-sector clients in shaping livable communities. The firm is an international leader in smart growth and a founding partner in the Congress for the New Urbanism.
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The combined relationship with HDR will benefit communities with groundbreaking urban growth in livable, sustainable, and low-carbon solutions.
Peter Calthorpe will join HDR as a sr. VP. He is a renowned pioneer of innovative approaches to urban revitalization, community planning, and regional design. He was awarded the Urban Land Institute’s prestigious J.C. Nichols Prize for Visionaries in Urban Development and is one of the founders and first board president of the Congress for the New Urbanism.
Joseph (Joey) Scanga will join HDR as a VP. He has two decades of diverse experience at Calthorpe Associates and has managed projects in countries worldwide.
The region’s fixed-route system finished out the year with a total of 373.5 million rides. Adding 12.3 million rides over 2024 represents an increase that is equal to the annual transit ridership of Kansas City.
The service is a flexible, reservation-based transit service designed to close the first- and last-mile gaps and connect riders to employment for just $5 per day.
The upgraded system, which went live earlier this month, supports METRO’s METRONow vision to enhance the customer experience, improve service reliability, and strengthen long-term regional mobility.
The agreement provides competitive wages and reflects strong labor-management collaboration, positive working relationships, and a shared commitment to building a world-class transit system for the community, said RTA CEO Lona Edwards Hankins.
The priorities are outlined in the 2026 Board and CEO Initiatives and Action Plan, which serves as a roadmap to guide the agency’s work throughout the year and ensure continued progress and accountability on voter-approved transportation investments and essential mobility services.
