Mary Anne’s Place community engagement and design audit

HousingUrban planningUrban design
Written By Happy Cities

Happy Cities is leading community engagement and conducting design reviews to maximize wellbeing at Mary Anne’s Place, a new mixed-use development in Port Moody, BC.

A child and an adult painting on a community mural with the text 'Paint with Me' in the foreground at a public event

Local artist Jace Kim helps a young girl contribute a community mural, which will be installed in the future development at Mary Anne’s Place. (Emma Avery / Happy Cities)

Happy Cities is working closely with Placemaker Communities on the design and community engagement for Mary Anne’s Place, a new mixed-use development in Port Moody, B.C. Located a short walk away from the SkyTrain, the project is a leading example of how medium-density rental and strata housing can be combined with local shops and services, great public spaces, heritage conservation—and a creative arts scene—to create a vibrant new community that offers more homes for a growing region. The development application was passed unanimously by Port Moody Council in September 2023, with all participants at the public hearing speaking in favour of the project.

Happy Cities has been deeply involved in several aspects of the project, including:

  • Community engagement, leading community pop-up events, conducting interviews with key stakeholders, and supporting with public hearings

  • Housing and master plan design audits, conducting a Happy Homes assessment and identifying design strategies to maximize wellbeing and social connections throughout the site

  • Public space design, developing design concepts and inspiration for a celebratory, welcoming, lively public mews that supports resident wellbeing and local business

  • Graphic design and communications, creating social media graphics, mailouts, posters, website content, and site signage

Community members engaged in a conversation at an outdoor event with informational banners and festive bunting
People gathered around a community event booth with notes hanging on a decorative tree, colorful flags in the background
Outdoor community event with people playing table tennis, booths, and a backdrop of mountains under a cloudy sky

Happy Cities hosted a block party-style pop-up event to hear the community’s aspirations for the site. (Emma Avery / Happy Cities)

Mary Anne’s Place is named for Port Moody heritage and community activist, Dr. Mary Anne Cooper. The project offers rental and strata units, and everything from live-work studios for artists to family-sized units. The two apartment buildings include retail space at ground level, and are connected by a publicly accessible mews. The project also includes the restoration of a prominent heritage building on-site, formerly a butcher shop, and now home to the well-loved GRIT Studio café.

Architectural rendering of a modern multi-story building with ground-floor retail and people walking on the street
Evening artist's rendering of a lively street scene with outdoor dining, pedestrians, and modern apartment buildings
Artist's impression of a new urban development showing modern apartment buildings, cafes, and pedestrians on a sunny day

Renderings of Mary Anne’s Place, showing two mixed-use buildings, the restored heritage shop, and a cozy public mews. (Placemaker Communities)

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