Our design philosophy centers around the belief that our streets are the common ground in our cities we all share with each other.
Our shared streets represent the public spaces that tie us all together in our neighbourhoods, travels, and experiences shaping our daily lives. They should be designed, built, and shared with an inclusive and multi-functional approach for all.
We launched City Blocks to design and build adaptive and multifunctional street furniture to shape flexible streets and extend the possibilities of what our shared streets can be as our urban landscapes and environments constantly shift around us, we seek to build streets that serve people first.
ABOUT US
City Blocks Urban Furniture is designed in Vancouver, by Studio Meanwhile.
Studio Meanwhile is reimagining how we design and activate urban spaces. Meanwhiles purpose is clear: to create urban spaces that serve everyone.
As an international design studio working throughout the United States and Canada, Meanwhile operates as a registered benefit corporation with a triple bottom-line business focus. Meaning we proudly honour our obligation to serve people, places, and the planet with our business.
For more than 12 years, Meanwhile has been at the forefront of transforming urban landscapes, blending industrial design with creative placemaking to deliver solutions that empower communities to thrive. Placemaking isn’t just an outcome here—our design and products are tools for shaping how we live, connect, and share public space in cities.
In 2020, Meanwhile launched City Blocks Urban Furniture, a modular, adaptive, and customizable product line designed to reimagine public spaces, like plazas, streets and parks. These solutions are not just furniture—they are building blocks for better cities, designed to foster connection and enhance the experience of shared environments.
From the bustling energy of downtowns to the quiet corners of neighbourhood plazas, Meanwhiles designs are reshaping how we experience urban life. Projects throughout Vancouver, BC, and beyond stand as lasting testaments to their commitment to building accessible, vibrant, and inclusive spaces. Meanwhile is headquartered in Vancouver, Meanwhile is led by Founder and Creative Director Chris Charest, whose vision continues to push the boundaries of global urban design.
