Our Story
Moving Ideas into Action
City Thread helps communities turn ambitious plans into finished projects. Using our proven Playbook, we help our partners build the coalitions and resources needed to deliver lasting results on a quicker timeline.
Since 2010, founding partners Sara Studdard and Kyle Wagenschutz have worked in dozens of communities nationwide, developing and refining City Thread’s Playbook. We bring experience in urban and rural planning, communications, engagement, and fund development to help local governments, state agencies, federal partners, community nonprofits, and businesses achieve their most ambitious goals.
Trust creates the foundation for our work. We help people with different perspectives and experiences to find common ground, build coalitions, and pursue shared interests. We start by listening, and we make sure residents who haven’t had a say before have a real one. When people see their involvement leading to meaningful outcomes, they become more willing to work together again.
Our Story
City Thread grew out of two decades helping communities move ambitious projects forward. Sara Studdard and Kyle Wagenschutz first worked together in Memphis, where projects took years to finish, even with funding, technical expertise, and people committed to making progress. Later, working with communities across the country, they saw the same challenge: having a good idea, a strong plan, and available resources did not guarantee progress.
We believe most communities already know what they want for their future:
Safer streets, connected neighborhoods, and greater economic opportunity
Welcoming parks, trails, and public spaces that bring people together
Clean water, clean air, and reliable energy
Quality housing and reliable mobility options people can afford
Cultural spaces and public art that reflect the people who live there
Public lands that support conservation and recreation
Resilient communities prepared for a climate crisis
Sara and Kyle created City Thread to help communities reach these goals by building the relationships, processes, and resources communities need to work together, deliver on promises, and take on increasingly ambitious challenges.
What We Help Partners Do
City Thread helps communities move from planning to delivery by establishing shared goals, strengthening partnerships, and building the capacity to act.
Scope of Support
We help our partners:
Understand the starting point by listening first, reviewing what already exists, and identifying where progress is getting stuck.
Establish a shared goal that aligns people across agencies, organizations, and neighborhoods.
Align partnerships through audience research, meaningful engagement, and clear decision-making.
Resource local champions with funding strategy, philanthropic relationships, and practical support.
Focus on project delivery so plans move into action and communities see visible progress.
Proven Results
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30 miles
BENTONVILLE, ARKANSAS
From 2022 to 2025, the city built trails and mobility infrastructure at 15 times its historic pace.
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38 projects
STONE COUNTY, MISSOURI
Residents built a community action plan, and mini-grants have already put $36,000 into 17 local projects.
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25+ partners
COLORADO PARKS AND WILDLIFE
City Thread is facilitating a statewide strategy that unites conservation, recreation, and climate resilience.
The results speak for themselves.
Bentonville, Arkansas is one example of what happens when a shared goal, broad support, and the right resources come together around delivery.
Mobility is where City Thread proved the Playbook works. It’s not where City Thread believes it stops.
The Playbook applies across a broad scope of community priorities. In Stone County, Missouri, a coalition of residents, businesses, and municipal partners has applied Playbook strategies to address affordable housing, improve water quality, and develop new public space projects.
Let’s Build a Path Forward, Together
Ready to move your project from plan to delivery? Let’s look at your goals and find the fastest path.
Email us to book a consultation meeting with an expert today. We’ll discuss your project, your timeline, and how we can design a service package that fits your budget.