Community Design
Our Services
At Io we specialize in designing and planning for vibrant, sustainable, and equitable communities! Our biophilic design philosophy and culturally-centered process combines the disciplines of Planning, Urban Design, and Landscape Architecture with community advocacy, sustainable agriculture, and deep ecology resulting in holistically vibrant places. Our signature grassroots design process centers around five catalytic strategies that foster strong communities: Historic preservation, creative placemaking, development planning, recreation & trails, and ecological landscapes.

Historic Preservation
In addition to a myriad of economic benefits, the preservation and adaptive re-use of historic buildings, landscapes, and districts creates communities that have a strong sense of unique identity and pride. Historic neighborhoods are inherently more walkable, and historic districts tend to be more culturally diverse and economically resilient.

Creative Placemaking
Creative placemaking is the process of engaging the local community, government entities, and private developers as part of a broader urban design strategy. This collaborative process involves small-scale, community-engaged interventions that build on the unique local culture, increases pride of place and incentivizes reinvestment in a place.

Recreation and Trails
Ecological places, trails, and activities create and sustain vibrant communities. With more outdoor recreation, neighborhoods can support their local economy, encourage healthy lifestyles, and foster more community gathering. We believe the ability to enjoy nature is a right for all, and aim to make these opportunities more accessible.

Development Planning
Development planning leverages private sector investment to create vibrant places. We work with cities and developers to plan projects that not only meet market needs, but also preserve the quality of life, maintain the character of existing neighborhoods and landscapes, and provide returns on investment for property owners and community members alike.

Ecological Landsapes
We seek to expand the earth's ecological capacity to provide ecosystem services through preservation, smart development, urban agriculture, and green infrastructure. This includes taking development pressure off of prime agricultural farmland and wild places by designing vibrant, walkable, and green urban communities where people want to live.
Start My Project
Before we get started, please tell us more about your project! If we determine that your project is a good fit for our expertise, someone from our team will be in touch with you about the next steps within 1-2 business days.
Our Projects
Aug 2022
Dec 2021
Dec 2020
Apr 2020
Feb 2020
Feb 2020
Jun 2019
Apr 2019
On the River’s Edge Competition
Feb 2019
Dec 2018
Dec 2018
Apr 2018
Feb 2018
Mar 2017
Apr 2016
Apr 2016
Feb 2015
Ogden Business Exchange Master Plan
Jun 2014
Apr 2014
Feb 2014
Apr 2013
Jun 2011
Apr 2011
Apr 2011
Apr 2011
Apr 2006
Over 20 years dedicated to vibrant, ecological design.
We’ve dedicated over 20-years toward honing our approach to helping local governments, non-profits, developers, and community members create economically viable, socially equitable, and ecologically sustainable places. Our list of clients includes cities, such as Ogden, Salt Lake, and South Salt Lake, and rural communities, such as Beaver and Washington Counties. Io intends to continue supporting municipalities in realizing growth opportunities while preserving their inherent sense of unique character and identity.
What our clients are saying...
Sara Meess
IO LandArch has successfully provided a variety of services for Ogden City – from documenting historic landscapes to preparing the master plan for a major redevelopment project. IO created the design concept for the Ogden Business Exchange, a redevelopment project that is transforming a historic but vacant stockyard into a state-of-the-art business park. Io’s design weaves in the rich history of the site and its proximity to natural amenities to create a truly unique sense of place..
Sharen Hauri
Io has been a tremendous help to the City of South Salt Lake as they have worked over the years to help plan and design numerous city buildings and parks. We are grateful for this consistency and reliability as we complete many projects in phases. Io’s attention to detail and quality and willingness to listen to our needs ensures we are always happy with the end product.
Amy Jorgensen
I absolutely love working with Io! They are smart, insightful, and excellent at what they do. Their team is keenly attuned to the relationships between history, place and design - and work closely with clients to build a plan that is responsive and visionary. A pleasure to work with, Io brings the best work to the table, I give them my highest recommendation.
Venessa Castagnoli | Executive Director
Ogden Contemporary Arts were lucky enough to work with io Landarch on our outdoor sculpture park, PLATFORMS. Shalae was critical to pulling off this community project. She offered their services as an in-kind donation and even went as far as recommending volunteer options, as we are a nonprofit with limited funds. The outcome was astonishing. What was once a lot of overgrown weeds, chain-link, and trash, is now a welcoming park scattered with beautiful native plants and whimsical winding pathways. Ogden is lucky to have such a community-oriented landscape architecture firm in our community.
The Pingree Mansion
Io LandArch custom-designed my solar-carport. They even got approval from the historic landmark commission where I live (which would have been a headache to do on my own). It turned out beautifully. It’s as much work of art as it is carport and fit my budget. I’m very happy with the results and highly recommend them.
By Rebecca Sato