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Project Spotlight: Star Farms at Lakewood Ranch

09/22/2026 Project Spotlight Tagged Under: Community Development, Landscape Architecture, Master Planned Community

A connected approach to resort style living

For many communities, resort-style living is defined by its amenities. At Star Farm at Lakewood Ranch, it begins with how those amenities, homes, and natural systems fit together. Located in Manatee County, Florida, this 700-acre, gated multigenerational lifestyle community is planned as a resort ranch hometown, offering 1,500 single-family homes, paired villa retreats, and townhomes alongside spaces designed for wellness, social engagement, and outdoor recreation.

As Forestar Group’s vision for Star Farms took shape, RVi supported the project through master planning, land planning, site planning for four amenity tracts and the trail system, and landscape architecture for the community’s extensive common areas and amenities. Together, these services helped establish a connected framework for everyday life, with places to gather, move, play, relax, and spend time outdoors.

A landscape for every generation

A multigenerational community needs more than a single gathering space or one type of recreation. It needs a range of settings that support different ages, interests, and daily routines. At Star Farms, the amenity tracts are organized to provide that variety while remaining part of a larger, connected landscape.

Residents can move from private neighborhoods into shared spaces that support both activity and everyday social connection. Greenways and trails extend through the community, creating a network for walking, exploring, and moving between amenities. The network helps make outdoor recreation part of the daily experience rather than an occasional destination, while also creating opportunities for informal gatherings among neighbors.

The plan also recognizes that community life happens on different scales. Some spaces are suited to larger gatherings and programmed events, while others allow for a slower pace—a shaded walk, a conversation along the trail, or a few quiet minutes near the lake. Providing this range gives residents multiple ways to participate in the life of the community and helps the landscape feel welcoming throughout the day.

Amenities with room for every kind of day

Star Farms’ four resort amenity campuses were designed to support a full range of experiences. Multiple clubhouses, a fitness center, coffee shop, bar and grill, and resort-style pool and spa provide places to gather, recharge, and connect. Flex lawns and event spaces offer adaptable settings for community events, outdoor programming, and activities that can evolve over time. Distributing the amenity sites across four separate campuses makes recreation and relaxation accessible throughout the neighborhood.

Active living continues throughout the outdoor spaces. Residents can gather for a game of bocce, pickleball, or tennis, while a playground with a future planned splash pad gives younger residents room to play. Multiple dog parks provide space for four-legged family members, and the trail system provides a more continuous connection to the native ecosystem and existing wetlands. Together, these elements create choices for a morning walk, an afternoon game, a family outing, or an evening gathering with neighbors.

Designing for connection and wellness

The strength of Star Farms is not simply the number of amenities, but the way the pieces work together. The community’s planning and landscape architecture establish a setting where wellness, recreation, and social connection overlap. A resident may begin the day on the trails, meet a neighbor for coffee, spend time at the pools, or join a community event without leaving the larger neighborhood environment.

The approach also gives the community flexibility. Shared spaces can support structural programming as well as spontaneous use, allowing residents to shape the landscape around their own routines. The result is a lifestyle that feels active without being prescriptive and social without requiring every experience to be organized.

Preserving the character of the site

While the amenity program brings energy and activity to Star Farms, the landscape is grounded in the site’s existing character. RVi collaborated with Atwell, the project’s civil engineer, to preserve existing live oaks along the proposed trail system and lake banks. These mature trees help anchor the outdoor experience and connect the community’s new amenities to the Florida landscape that surrounds them.

Integrating the trees into the trail and lakefront framework required coordination between planning, civil engineering, and landscape architecture. It also reflects a broader project goal: to create a community that feels established and connected to its setting as it grows. The preserved live oaks provide recognizable landmarks along the landscape, helping Star Farms to establish a sense of authentic identity that cannot be created through amenities alone.

A resort ranch hometown

With Star Farms at Lakewood Ranch fully developed, its planning framework is designed to support more than residential growth. It creates a setting where homes, amenities, trails, and natural features work together to shape a cohesive community experience. By pairing resort-style programming with connected outdoor spaces and respect for the existing landscape, Forestar and RVi are creating a place that supports wellness, activity, and belonging across generations.

Star Farms demonstrates how thoughtful planning and landscape architecture can turn a collection of distinctive amenities into a true neighborhood experience—a neighborhood that encourages residents to get outside, spend time together, and feel connected to the place they call home.

The success of Star Farms led Forestar to acquire and develop the parcel to the east as Saddlestone at Star Farms, expanding the community with additional shared amenities and an extended trail network.

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Project Spotlight: Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital Integrative Healing Medicine Garden

08/12/2026 Project Spotlight Tagged Under: Campuses, Landscape Architecture

Healing through design: How an integrative medicine garden supports whole-person healing

Healing doesn’t begin and end with clinical care. Every stage of a patient’s journey is shaped by experiences that support the mind, body, and spirit. At Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital, that holistic philosophy extends beyond the treatments provided inside the hospital to the environments where patients, families, and caregivers spend their time, including the outdoor spaces.

Designed as an extension of the Center for Health and Integrative Medicine, the Integrative Medicine Garden reflects decades of research demonstrating the value of thoughtfully designed outdoor environments in healthcare. Studies have associated these environments with reduced stress, greater emotional restoration, and, in some cases, measurable improvements in patient recovery.

“Nature has proven to have a notable impact on patient outcomes,” says Geoff Roehll, Director of Healthcare and Senior Living at RVi. “Patients who have access to nature may require less pain medication, recover more quickly, and experience lower stress levels. That’s why hospitals increasingly incorporate healing gardens and restorative outdoor spaces as part of the overall patient experience.”

How intentional design supports the patient journey

Inscribed across the garden’s primary water feature are the words “journey through a garden.” The phrase reflects the project’s guiding philosophy that for patients and families, the path through treatment and healing is just that—a journey—and every path, gathering space, and moment of respite was intentionally designed to support them along the way.

While aesthetics played a major role in the garden’s sensory experiences, ultimately, its form followed its function. RVi worked closely with hospital staff to understand how the space could extend and enhance the hospital’s integrative approach to care, developing a program centered around the core tenets of mind, body, and spirit.

That program is reflected in the way the garden unfolds. A wall of windows creates a visual connection to the landscape, while direct access from the interior flexible yoga space extends wellness activities outdoors. An outdoor yoga lawn and patio transition into meandering pathways that encourage gentle movement and connect a series of spaces for counseling, meditation, and quiet reflection. A low seating wall and evergreen plantings define the garden’s edge, creating a sense of enclosure while buffering the space from the surrounding hospital campus and parking areas.

Each space feels distinct yet remains seamlessly connected through circulation, weaving through flower gardens, water features, benches, and shaded areas. That sense of connection also creates flexibility and a greater sense of autonomy in an otherwise prescribed setting.

“When so much of a patient’s treatment journey may feel out of their control, the landscape gives them choices about how they engage with their surroundings,” says Roehll. Visitors can seek out sun or shade, conversation or solitude, movement or quiet reflection, depending on what they need in the moment.

Those moments of choice were intentionally crafted—driven by programming, aligned with healthcare outcomes, and influenced by countless design decisions that support every detail of the landscape.

Pergolas and seating areas throughout the garden offer visitors a choice of sun or shade, creating comfortable spaces for quiet reflection, conversation, or respite.

Every detail has a purpose

In a healing garden, details that might appear purely aesthetic often serve a much deeper purpose. At the Integrative Medicine Garden, every material, planting, and hardscaping element was selected for the role it plays in creating a comfortable, restorative experience.

The garden’s central water wall serves as both a visual focal point and an acoustic feature. The sound of cascading water creates a calming atmosphere while providing subtle white noise that enhances privacy for conversations and serves as a backdrop for meditative reflection. Additional pondless water features throughout the garden extend the aquatic sensory benefits, without the maintenance or safety concerns associated with standing water.

Comfort guided many of the garden’s material selections as well. Darker paving minimizes glare and reflects sunlight that can be uncomfortable for patients with heightened light sensitivity, while shade structures and strategically placed seating create welcoming places to rest. Flexible gathering spaces accommodate everything from organized counseling sessions to informal conversations between families and caregivers.

Planting design also serves multiple purposes. A diverse mix of trees, shrubs, and flowering plants introduces seasonal color, texture, and fragrance that enrich the sensory experience, while evergreen plantings establish a year-round buffer from surrounding parking areas and hospital activity. Together with low seat walls, they create a sense of enclosure that allows visitors to feel immersed in the landscape rather than the campus beyond.

Even the infrastructure contributes to the garden’s long-term performance. Rainwater is absorbed through permeable pavers to help manage stormwater naturally, while low lighting features extend the garden’s presence into the evening, ensuring the space remains welcoming throughout the day.

“When people experience a healing garden, they notice how it makes them feel, not why,” Roehll says. “Our job is to make sure every detail works together to build that experience.”

Soft lighting, lush plantings, and the illuminated water wall transform the garden into a peaceful retreat that supports reflection and relaxation throughout the day and into the evening.

Healing beyond the garden

While the Integrative Medicine Garden serves as one example of an integrated, restorative landscape, it reflects Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital’s broader commitment to treating the whole person across the entire journey. Rather than viewing healing as something that happens only within clinical spaces, the hospital has embraced an evidence-based approach that considers how every interaction with the natural and built environment can influence the user experience, from patients to families, staff to clinicians, and everyone in between.

“We’re looking at everything through the lens of the patient, the hospital staff, or the family visiting. For many, the minute you arrive at a hospital, stress starts to rise,” says Roehll. “Anything we can do to reduce that is going to help.”

That philosophy extends well beyond the garden itself. From intuitive circulation and clear wayfinding to rooftop green space and staff courtyards for respite during shifts, RVi’s hospital campus planning throughout Advocate Good Shepherd has helped to position each element as an opportunity to reduce stress and create a greater sense of comfort for everyone involved. Every pathway, outdoor space, and connection is considered through the lens of how people move, feel, and interact with their surroundings. In this way, the Garden becomes one expression of a much larger healing landscape.

“You have the intimate space of the garden at the micro-scale, and when we plan and design hospitals, we’re looking at the macro ‘healing garden’, which is the entire campus,” adds Roehll.

Ultimately, the Integrative Medicine Garden demonstrates that healing is influenced not only by the care people receive, but by the places where that care occurs. Through thoughtful planning and a shared commitment to whole-person wellness, Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital has created a landscape that helps transform moments of waiting, reflection, and recovery into meaningful parts of the healing journey.

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Project Spotlight: Elizabeth Morse Genius Children’s Garden

07/14/2026 Project Spotlight Tagged Under: Landscape Architecture, Planning, Public Places

Creating lifelong connections with nature through immersive play at the historic Garfield Park Conservatory

For more than a century, the Garfield Park Conservatory has provided Chicago residents with a place to experience nature, regardless of the season. In an urban neighborhood with limited access to green space, the Conservatory serves as an urban oasis and beloved community resource, welcoming visitors year-round to explore and learn.

For children, the most meaningful connections with nature often come through experience, not just observation. Building on that mission, the Elizabeth Morse Genius Children’s Garden blends environmental education, inclusive play, and immersive storytelling in an indoor play environment that invites children and families to engage with nature firsthand.

Housed within the Garfield Park Conservatory’s century-old glass exterior, among acres of exotic botanical environments, the Children’s Garden challenged our designers to balance delicate architectural preservation with universal accessibility, all while accounting for tropical climate conditions in the heart of the Midwest.

Environmental learning through play

When children and families arrive at the Garden, they’re welcomed into a vibrant world of discovery and movement. More than just a playground, the experience reimagines the Conservatory through the eyes of a child, where climbing, exploring, creating, and imagining become pathways to learning about the natural world.

Learning came first. Before designing the play elements, before navigating the challenges of building within a historic glass structure, the RVi team worked alongside the Conservatory’s education staff to define a set of educational objectives for every garden room that visitors would encounter, and then create the experiences through active play, sensory exploration, art, and interpretive, interactive exhibits.

“We had to think about what we wanted kids to learn, and that helped us frame the experiences for each space,” says Lacey Lawrence, Director at RVi.

The resulting play experiences were woven into a plant palette created by RVi and sourced from across the U.S., creating learning opportunities that felt inseparable from the surrounding gardens.

Visitors learn about plant roots, ecosystems, soil types, and insects by digging in soil, examining underground cross-sections, and crawling through an underground tunnel in the Beneath the Surface area. The Curiosity Canopy invites children to gain an elevated view of the Conservatory gardens by climbing a net structure 20 feet in the air and engaging with others. The Understory section encourages gross motor skills while teaching about the movement of vines and plant support systems with a spiral caterpillar slide and a pitcher plant perch. For quieter moments, the Arbor Alcove provides a calming space where children can recharge before continuing their exploration.

Nature-inspired play elements complement the botanical surroundings and blur the line between play environment and conservatory, where oversized fungi, fallen logs, giant leaves, and custom play structures like the “High-biscus Climber”—modeled after the hibiscus flower—connect children and families with the landscape.

These are just a few examples of more than 30 individual learning objectives and play activities spread across six separate garden rooms and organized around a central Base Camp Explorer theme. The journey begins the moment visitors set foot in the Children’s Garden, equipped with maps and tools for the adventure. And with free, year-round access to the tropical environments you wouldn’t typically find in Chicago, the journey and learning can continue indefinitely.

Building within a living landmark

Originally constructed in 1908, the Garfield Park Conservatory is an iconic Chicago landmark designed by renowned landscape architect Jens Jensen. As one of the largest and most recognizable conservatories in the nation, it pioneered Jensen’s vision of “landscape art under glass.”

Today, it stands as a beloved community destination, providing year-round access to more than two acres of tropical indoor gardens. With a glass canopy reaching 65 feet at its peak, designing play environments within the dense gardens presented unique challenges to the RVi team. And building it within a historic, glass-paneled structure added a new layer of complexity.

“Working inside a living historic landmark is very different than designing a typical park or playground,” says Lawrence. “We had to think beyond the play environment itself and consider how every decision would affect the building, the gardens, and the visitor experience.”

Typical demolition methods weren’t an option. “We couldn’t touch the building at all, and historic buildings weren’t designed for modern construction equipment, so we had to get creative,” Lawrence explains. In addition to protecting the building, this meant preserving the delicate plant life within the Conservatory. With construction occurring through winter in Chicago, exposure to the harsh temperatures could have been catastrophic.

To access the interior, the team built a temperature-controlled enclosure for staging, while crews carefully navigated the space constraints of the landmark structure.

In addition to its impacts on construction methods, the high-humidity climate meant designing an indoor play environment to outdoor specifications. The moisture can accelerate degradation and create slippery, unsafe play surfaces for children.

“We essentially had to design for the outdoors, indoors,” explains Lawrence.

This required careful selection of materials, finishes, and hardware that could withstand constant moisture, resist corrosion, and provide safe footing for children in a tropical environment. Every detail was evaluated for long-term durability while remaining visually consistent with the Conservatory’s lush, historic setting.

Designed for every child

Garfield Park represents a historically underserved community where continued investment in public spaces and community amenities plays an important role in supporting residents and families. With growing research demonstrating that access to nature supports physical, psychological, and social well-being, the Conservatory offers free admission 365 days a year for Chicago residents, providing a place where families can connect with nature and one another.

The Conservatory believes that access to nature is a fundamental right. The Children’s Garden furthers this mission by engaging the younger generations through accessible, inclusive, and culturally relevant play experiences. It offers opportunities for children of all cognitive, sensory, and physical abilities to explore, learn, and discover together, ensuring every family can participate in the wonder of the Conservatory.

“It was important to the Conservatory to be leaders in inclusive nature-based play,” said Lawrence. “Every component of the space considered accessibility. Our goal was to create a place where every child feels welcome.” A dedicated sensory-friendly area and wheelchair-accessible spiral ramp are among the most visible features, but inclusive design decisions are woven throughout the facility—from the colors and fonts on signage to the layout of pathways, play opportunities, and seating areas that support a wide range of physical, cognitive, and sensory needs.

Inspiring lifelong connection with nature

The Elizabeth Morse Children’s Garden at the Garfield Park Conservatory opened its doors to the public in May 2026.

“It’s so rewarding to see the smiles, hear the laughter, and watch families make the space their own,” says Lawrence. “When you spend years designing something like this, you hope it resonates. Seeing the Conservatory’s vision come to life—and the community embracing it—is what makes the project so meaningful.”

Every child who climbs into the canopy, discovers an unfamiliar plant, or simply spends an afternoon immersed in nature leaves with something more valuable than a memory. They leave with a relationship to the natural world. And for many families, that’s exactly where lifelong curiosity begins.

Photography: Scott Hargis Photography www.scotthargisphoto.com

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Esplanade at Red Rock: Resort living reimagined in Las Vegas

06/17/2026 Project Spotlight Tagged Under: Community Development, Land Planning, Landscape Architecture, Planning

Taylor Morrison’s signature Esplanade communities are known for bringing resort-style living to residents’ front doors. With a deep commitment to wellness and social connections, the communities offer a host of upscale amenities tailored to the markets they serve. With its emphasis on golf courses, culinary experiences, and active living, the Esplanade brand has thrived in Florida’s tropical environment and along the East Coast and is now expanding into new regional markets.

With sights set on Las Vegas, Taylor Morrison partnered with RVi to reinterpret the Esplanade experience for the Mojave Desert.

Perched above the Las Vegas Valley and framed by views of Red Rock Canyon, Esplanade at Red Rock called for more than simply replicating a successful formula. The challenge was to translate a hospitality-driven lifestyle brand to a dramatically different setting defined by rugged topography, desert landscapes, and a culture shaped by entertainment and outdoor recreation.

Reimagining a lifestyle brand for the Mojave Desert

Esplanade communities are more than just amenities. They reflect a lifestyle centered on wellness, purpose, and vitality. They invite residents to share the resort experience right in their community, fostering social connection at every opportunity. This brand identity is well established in Florida and East Coast markets, where the tropical climate and relatively flat topography lend themselves to golf courses, spacious trails, and tropical plant palettes.

With Esplanade at Red Rock marking the brand’s first entry into a true desert environment, the design team needed to preserve the essence of Esplanade while responding to a different climate and landscape.

“We knew we weren’t trying to make Las Vegas look like Florida. Our goal as designers was to adapt the experience in a way that felt authentic to the Mojave Desert,” says Jillian Hagen, Senior Project Manager with RVi.

Based in RVi’s Scottsdale, Arizona office, Hagen and RVi team members have worked extensively on communities in Las Vegas and throughout the Southwest region. This brought invaluable insights to the collaboration with Taylor Morrison, the Esplanade team, and RVi’s East Coast team members, who have been closely involved with previous Esplanade developments. Bringing together those perspectives—deep familiarity with Esplanade and knowledge of the local landscape and market—proved to be a successful combination.

The brand adapted in several ways. Color palettes were adjusted to reflect the local stone and rock formations. Materials followed suit, utilizing local stone in the entry monument and climate-resilient plantings to sustain efficient watering practices.

Hagen and RVi team members also visited existing Esplanade communities as part of a lifestyle brand immersion to gain a deeper understanding of the programming, hospitality, and resident expectations.

But understanding the brand was only part of the equation. Translating that experience to Southern Nevada required the team to look beyond established templates and allow the landscape itself to shape the community’s expression.

Designing with the landscape

The design team went beyond simply replicating other Esplanade communities and reinterpreted the brand through the lens of the Mojave Desert, using the site’s terrain, views, and natural character to create a distinctly Southwestern resort lifestyle.

“We kept the elements of their program, but we couldn’t use it as a mix-and-match set of pieces that you simply move to another location,” Hagen says. “It had to respond to the site and the region.”

Esplanade at Red Rock sits atop a dramatic canyon setting, a departure from the relatively flat topography of many Florida and East Coast communities. With up to 30 feet of grade change, the site’s topography challenged design teams to implement retaining walls and terraced construction familiar to the region, while leveraging the elevation as an asset for preserving sightlines.

Grading and retaining systems work with the site’s dramatic topography, transforming steep desert slopes into buildable terraces while preserving the elevated views that define the Esplanade at Red Rock experience.

“There’s a lot of elevation in Vegas, and the residential areas away from the Strip can have amazing city views. We had to preserve those sightlines while still creating comfort, shade, and a sense of place,” says Hagen.

The site’s thoughtful layout and use of terraced construction gives many residences a breathtaking view in a “stadium seating” format to minimize obstructions. By embracing the terrain, the design transformed a technical challenge into a defining feature of the community experience. Creating a stronger sense of arrival while prioritizing views offers residents a daily connection to the surrounding landscape, from Red Rock Canyon to the Las Vegas skyline.

Strategic siting and terracing homes preserved sightlines for residents looking over the Las Vegas Valley and the picturesque city skyline.

Designing for the desert also meant rethinking comfort. Rather than relying on the lush landscapes common in East Coast communities, the team carefully considered where residents would gather, pause, and move throughout the site. Trees, structures, and landscape elements were strategically positioned to provide relief from the desert sun, with sustainable plant palettes to withstand low-water and drought conditions.

Amenities at the heart of the Esplanade experience

The amenity campus at the heart of Esplanade at Red Rock offers a dynamic set of experiences centered on wellness, recreation, and meaningful connections.

While the landscape shaped the community’s physical framework, the Esplanade lifestyle ultimately comes to life through the experience residents share within it. Esplanade at Red Rock centers those experiences around an amenity campus designed for wellness, recreation, and meaningful connection.

A 10,000-square-foot clubhouse anchors the campus and provides several signature Esplanade wellness amenities. An indoor spa includes a cold plunge, sauna, contrast therapy and more, where residents can relax and unwind in comfort. Next door, a fitness center provides state-of-the-art exercise equipment, while a longevity lounge offers additional relaxation and wellness-focused programming. A pool outside strengthens indoor-outdoor connections and the feeling of everyday resort living.

Recreation and active living continue throughout the campus. Pickleball and bocce courts create opportunities for friendly competition, while a golf simulator in the clubhouse offers residents a year-round outlet for practice and play. A dog park gives four-legged companions room to run and socialize, and an event lawn provides multi-use space for community gatherings and outdoor entertainment.

Equally important are the spaces designed simply to bring people together. Fireside seating areas, a Barrel House Bistro, and an expansive event lawn create settings for culinary experiences, community gatherings, and outdoor entertainment. Quieter moments of connection were considered through features such as a butterfly garden, welcoming pollinators and giving residents a casual space to pause, reflect, and engage with the landscape.

Together, these amenities capture the lifestyle of wellness and connection that runs throughout the Esplanade brand.

A scalable framework for future expansion

Designing a successful community requires site- and market-specific awareness. Staying true to an established lifestyle identity demands an equally deep understanding of the principles that define it. At Esplanade at Red Rock, Taylor Morrison and RVi bridged the gap through close collaboration, blending national brand expertise with regional insight to craft a community that feels both authentically Esplanade and unmistakably Las Vegas.

The approach to collaboration among geographically dispersed teams brought each team member’s strengths to the surface while establishing workflows for future expansion into new markets. Hagen believes that willingness to adapt ultimately became one of the project’s greatest strengths. “We weren’t reinventing Esplanade,” she says. “We were helping it evolve.”

Rather than simply replicating a brand experience, the process demonstrated how successful lifestyle brands can evolve to preserve the experience that residents value while embracing the unique character of place.

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Moonlight in the Phoenix suburbs: Linking distinct experiences into one connected community

05/22/2026 Project Spotlight Tagged Under: Community Development, Land Planning, Landscape Architecture, Planning

As the Phoenix metro area continues its rapid expansion, communities in neighboring Pinal County are becoming key destinations for new residential growth. The City of Maricopa has emerged as one of the region’s fastest-growing communities, where thoughtfully planned developments are transforming the landscape and shaping the next chapter of desert living in the Southwest.

To keep pace with demand, speed-to-market matters. But for community developers like our client, Forestar Group, success is measured by more than the number of homes delivered. In a rapidly expanding landscape of new neighborhoods, creating a lasting identity and a community people genuinely connect with is what sets projects apart.

“We really focused on designing something for everyone. Not just a single set of amenities with universal appeal, but actually a specific amenity for each user group, linked together,” says RVi Landscape Architect Katie LaBelle, who has been leading the work since 2020.

Creative differentiation and longevity were priorities from the start at Moonlight, a 489-acre master planned community in Maricopa, Arizona. The site’s transformation from a longstanding dairy operation into a modern, master-planned community reflects a broader shift throughout Maricopa from an agricultural history to rapid regional growth.

RVi was instrumental in helping to process an amendment to modify the site’s General Plan land use designation in the community’s nascency. This change opened the door for a broader mix of residential densities and land uses, creating greater flexibility and creativity in the overall community design. Together, we worked with Forestar to plan, design, and deliver a community that inspires connection and functions as a community, not just a development.

Finding what was missing

Moonlight is anything but ordinary, and the distinction was intentional.

“From the start, knew we were going to have to do something a little bit different,” says LaBelle.

The mix of amenities and housing types was determined through a careful market gap analysis that bridged firsthand observations, market data, and creative vision. Early in the planning and visioning process, LaBelle and the RVi team took to the streets to understand what already existed, and what would set Moonlight apart.

“We started by going out there, touring everything that had been built so far, looking at different communities to see what’s working, what’s not, and where there’s a need,” she recalls.

The research revealed opportunities to create experiences that many nearby communities lacked. Rather than designing off-the-shelf solutions with broad appeal, it was important to bring people together with focused experiences—connected, but distinct.

This approach aligned with the developer’s vision of togetherness, and Moonlight became a place focused on inclusivity and intergenerational connections. With an authentic sense of place captured through market-driven planning, flexible gathering spaces, and a strong sense of place, Moonlight is helping redefine what community-oriented suburban growth can look like in the Sonoran Desert.

Designing a lifestyle framework

A community center without walls. It may sound like a metaphor (an apt one, at that), but at Moonlight, it’s literal.

The central gathering structure was designed with openness in mind, it serves as a multi-use flexible space at the heart of the community. With picnic tables, a state-of-the-art outdoor kitchen, and fans overhead, the community center provides shelter and shade without disconnect. People host parties, neighborhood events, and casual gatherings. The HOA holds meetings there. And it’s located directly adjacent to a wide variety of complementary amenities for each user group, linked by proximity and thematics.

A large, outdoor gas fireplace offers a cozy space for gathering—close enough for parents to watch their children at the nearby shaded play structures, yet distinct enough for adults seeking solitude under the setting desert sun. Nearby, a thoughtfully designed resort-style pool provides a refreshing retreat and social centerpiece for residents throughout the year. An event lawn with artificial grass can adapt to movies in the park, outdoor festivals, or other large gatherings.

The outdoor culture is undeniable at Moonlight, and goes hand-in-hand with wellness, recreation, and active living.

It’s common to see families, cyclists, joggers, and walkers on the miles of interconnected trails weaving through the community. During our recent visits, the newly installed pickleball courts were in near-constant rotation, and the sand volleyball courts still carried the fresh divots of an impromptu match. Soon, an outdoor fitness center with dedicated gym equipment will further expand opportunities for residents to exercise and gather outdoors together.

The amenities and circulation were designed to encourage movement and interaction as part of everyday life rather than isolated experiences.

Maricopa is growing across all ages, demographics, and walks of life. As a new development, Moonlight needed to be welcoming to all. We worked closely with the developer to plan and design lots of varying sizes, with multiple builders lined up to deliver differentiated homes of many shapes, sizes, and price points. The development includes zoning for future mixed-use and commercial development.

“No matter what stage of life you’re in, I think you can find a home and a community here,” says Katie.

Thematics and the basis for a national brand

Beyond planning, design, and amenities, the RVi team worked with Forestar and Made in July, a creative branding agency, to establish the larger thematic identity of the community. During the visioning process, the team explored several thematic directions inspired by the local agricultural history, surrounding desert landscapes, and the nearby mountain ranges visible from the site.

From those explorations, the identity of “Moonlight” emerged.

The branding leaned less on nostalgia and more on the community’s atmosphere, with desert skies, outdoor living, sunset gatherings, and lifestyle tied to the Sonoran environment. A warm color palette and regional iconography became central to the thematic identity.

“The idea was to create a brand that could adapt to different regions while still reflecting a strong sense of place,” says LaBelle.

The color palette runs throughout the amenities and landscape, with placemaking strategies reflecting the distinct brand. Pickleball courts with purple surfacing, logos on the pool, and customized signage and wayfinding coalesce in a unified sense of place.

The Moonlight identity shaped the experience of the community through the landscape itself, organizing the community around interconnected trails linking the distinct recreational and social environments throughout the development. Shade structures in the play area, social hubs, the community center without barriers—these features solidified the identity and vision for the brand.

As Maricopa’s Moonlight continues to evolve, the branding and thematics will be able to scale nationally into a broader development brand strategy adaptable to various regions across the country.

Continuity and long-term vision

Large master planned communities don’t come together all at once. They often evolve in phases over years, sometimes decades, changing with the markets, design teams, contractors, and builders along the way.

For Moonlight, continuity became an important part of the process, with RVi helping to define the vision and protect its coherence throughout multiple phases and counting.

We’ve continued to work diligently throughout implementation, from construction administration and field reviews to materials, lighting, planting, and streetscaping. This collaboration has helped ensure that the original planning principles carried consistently throughout each phase of the growing community.

“Sometimes you see communities start strong in the first phase, and then the theme gets lost and diluted,” says LaBelle. “That’s one thing that didn’t happen here.”

The consistency is visible throughout the development, where trails, gathering spaces, landscaping, signage, and amenities continue reinforcing the same outdoor-oriented identity established during the project’s earliest visioning phases. Rather than feeling pieced together over time, Moonlight maintains a cohesive sense of place as it continues to grow alongside the city around it.

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The Exchange: Reimagining a city block into a community destination

04/24/2026 Project Spotlight Tagged Under: Landscape Architecture, Outdoor Hospitality, Urban Design, Urban Planning

In the heart of Downtown Fort Collins, a full city block has been reimagined into a vibrant, community-centered destination. The Exchange, designed by RVi in collaboration with Brinkman Development and the City of Fort Collins, reflects what’s possible when thoughtful planning, adaptive reuse, and placemaking come together with a clear purpose.

This project wasn’t about blending in. It was about creating something intentionally different – an “open entertainment district” where people could move freely, explore local businesses, and shape their own experience. As Regional Vice President Paul Mills described, the goal was to create “an eclectic, unique space downtown that’s different… a surprising element” within the historic fabric of Old Town.

A new way to see the block

A bird’s eye view of The Exchange in the heart of downtown Fort Collins.

The Exchange began with a broader challenge: an entire block that had grown tired and underperforming over time. While the parking lot became a visible focal point, it was just one piece of a much larger opportunity. Initially, the property was acquired with plans for a more traditional mixed-use, multifamily development. But as Mills noted, “the fiscal reality to scrape everything and build a whole new building was deemed too expensive.” That constraint became the catalyst for a more creative solution.

Rather than starting from scratch, RVi worked with Brinkman Development to reimagine the site as a community-centered destination. The vision shifted toward creating a place where restaurants, bars, retail, and open space could coexist in a way that felt organic and approachable.

At the heart of the design is a central green lawn, intentionally left open and flexible. This space anchors the site while allowing it to evolve throughout the day and across seasons. It’s not over-programmed or overly defined. Instead, it invites a wide array of use, whether that’s kids playing, friends gathering, or live music activating the space.

“We’re not trying to program every space to be something,” Mills explained. “Just let it be open and let people choose their adventure.”

This mindset shaped every aspect of the project, turning what could have been a conventional development into a dynamic, community-driven environment.

Designing for flexibility, interaction, and everyday use

One of the defining characteristics of The Exchange is its emphasis on flexibility. Rather than prescribing how people should use the space, the design creates opportunities for a wide range of experiences to unfold naturally.

The central lawn is complemented by movable furniture, shaded areas, and interactive elements, such as a putting green and ping pong tables. These features allow users to shape the space as they like, by pulling chairs together, creating gathering spots, or simply finding a place to relax. “That really is the definition of flexible space,” Mills noted.

Surrounding the green, outdoor patios extend the usability of the site, supporting year-round events and entertainment. The integration of a common consumption area further enhances the experience, allowing visitors to enjoy offerings from multiple vendors while remaining within a shared, social environment.

Custom seating, benches, and thoughtfully placed gathering areas encourage people to linger. The design fosters casual interaction. It’s a place where families, students, and visitors can coexist comfortably, each finding their own way to engage in the space.

Mills described it as having “the ability to spread your wings between establishments,” where even children can move freely within a safe, open environment. That sense of freedom—of not being confined to a single use or experience—is what sets The Exchange apart.

The central lawn is complemented by movable furniture, shaded areas, and interactive elements like a putting green and ping pong tables.

Adaptive reuse and a bold design identity

Visually, The Exchange stands in deliberate contrast to its surroundings. Located within the historic context of Old Town Fort Collins, known for its consistent red brick architecture, the project introduces a fresh, contemporary character shaped by adaptive reuse.

Repurposed shipping containers define the perimeter of the site, housing a mix of local food, beverage, and retail vendors. This approach not only reflects a more sustainable, cost-effective solution, but also establishes a distinct identity for the space. “It doesn’t just blend in with the surrounding aesthetics,” Mills said. “It’s intentionally contrasting.”

That contrast is part of the experience.

The Exchange emerges as something unexpected—modern, open, and energetic. The containers create intimate, people-oriented environments along the edges, while the central green opens up to provide breathing room and visibility across the site.

Layered throughout are elements of public art, color, and texture that reinforce the eclectic spirit of Fort Collins. The design bridges indoor and outdoor experiences seamlessly, allowing people to move fluidly between vendor spaces and the open plaza.

Repurposed shipping containers define the perimeter of the site, housing a mix of local food, beverage, and retail vendors.

A thoughtful and meaningful transformation

The Exchange is a clear example of how constraints can lead to better outcomes. What began as a financially driven shift away from traditional development became an opportunity to create something more meaningful, something rooted in community, flexibility, and experience.

Through integrated design, planning, and entitlement services, RVi helped transform an overlooked site into a vibrant, family-friendly destination that supports local businesses and strengthens the cultural fabric of Old Town Fort Collins.

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On the French Broad River: Community at the center of riverfront recovery

03/17/2026 Project Spotlight Tagged Under: Community Engagement, Planning

The French Broad River runs through West Asheville, North Carolina, weaving together community, nature, and industry as it connects north to south, and old to new. Geologically speaking, it’s one of the oldest rivers on the planet. Culturally, its banks have inspired a vibrant arts community and offered space for recreation and renewal with nature. Historically, the riverfront served industry and commerce that supported Asheville’s growth.

Over time, its banks have evolved into vital public spaces that have long been part of daily life for Asheville residents and visitors. Parks, greenways, and gathering spaces brought people close to the water. The River Arts District developed as a creative hub for local artists and businesses, operating largely out of repurposed warehouses. In the summer, inner tubes, boats, and stand-up paddle boards span the river as a key recreational asset.

A strong, diverse sense of community permeates every aspect of life in Asheville, and has defined the river’s usage for decades. But that community’s resilience was tested in 2024 when Tropical Storm Helene brought unprecedented devastation to Asheville and the Western North Carolina region. In the storm’s aftermath, the French Broad River became the focal point for a collective effort to recover and rebuild.

The City of Asheville’s Parks Recovery Project will establish a vision and plan for the entire parks system, spanning approximately 180 acres and multiple parks, trails, and greenways. It goes beyond rebuilding, to re-examining ways to enhance and uplift what was there from social, economic, environmental, and user experience perspectives.

“We’re focused on making smart, sustainable decisions—regenerative decisions—to stabilize the riverbanks and program spaces to withstand flooding in the future,” says David Cosslett, principal at RVi. “Our goal is to not just rebuild what was there, but to reimagine the parks in the eyes of the people who use them.”

With Sasaki leading the broader planning and design efforts, Cosslett and RVi are assisting community engagement strategies that place local voices at the center of the process, shaping a resilient riverfront experience tied directly to the community it serves. In Asheville, recovery begins by engaging the community.

Strength from disaster

Credit U.S. Army National Guard photos by Sgt. 1st Class Leticia Samuels, CC (Cover image included).

During Tropical Storm Helene, the riverfront that once symbolized renewal became the epicenter of loss. At its peak, the river reportedly crested at more than 24 feet, breaking previous records set in 1916. Unprecedented flooding, landslides, and outages wreaked devastation across the region and left homes, businesses, and parks in the wreckage.

RVi’s Asheville staff were among those displaced. “We didn’t have water or power for weeks,” Cosslett recalls. When the storm subsided, the cleanup and relief efforts brought the community together in ways that disaster often does.

“So many people lost everything,” says Cosslett. “Yet neighbors from all backgrounds came together, asking, ‘How can I help? What can I do?’ It showed the strength of this region to come together in times of pain.”

During the immediate recovery period, RVi team members provided direct support as volunteers cleaning out people’s homes and properties impacted by the storm. RVi participated in several additional efforts focused on understanding flood impacts in the River Arts District, one of the areas most affected by the storm. This included supporting an Urban Land Institute (ULI) advisory panel to assess recovery needs, as well as academic engagement through Clemson University’s third-year design studio, where Cosslett volunteered as a mentor for students examining post-flood conditions and creative solutions to rebuild what was lost.

As members of the community, remaining engaged during the early stages of recovery was a duty, and an important way to stay connected to ongoing conversations and local needs.

Community engagement as the foundation for the future

Public open houses and community outreach gathered feedback from hundreds of Asheville residents to guide the French Broad River Parks Recovery Project. Additional pop-up events, focus groups, online surveys, and one-on-one meetings painted a robust, community-driven future for 180+ acres of parks and damaged by Tropical Storm Helene.

When RVi began the public engagement process in December 2025, that energy carried through. More than 200 residents showed up to the first public open house to share their ideas for the future. That initial session, coordinated alongside other concurrent City-led parks efforts, brought together residents, City staff, and multiple design teams around a common goal. We were there to listen.

“It was one of the better attended open houses we’ve had in the city,” says Cosslett. “We heard a lot of excitement and a lot of positive input. People were happy to be there and share their thoughts.”

Engagement efforts that followed were designed to meet people where they are, capturing a broad range of perspectives. Through targeted focus groups, pop-ups in community spaces, and accessible online tools, residents shared how they use the riverfront today, what they value most, and what they hope to see. The in-person engagement ranged in scale from the public open houses to coordinating more than 25 one-on-one meetings with interested residents to gain more personal and focused input.

Conversations consistently highlighted the importance of safety and ecological resilience, river access, environmental restoration, and balancing active recreation with passive amenities. The focus groups brought together users to dig deep into topics such as recreation, local business, and public art.

The design team structured engagement strategies to translate lived experience into actionable design direction. What emerged from the public engagement process was a shared sense of care for the riverfront, its parks, and their shared future. Those insights will now serve as the foundation for a set of design guidelines that embed community values into actionable direction, ensuring the next phase of planning reflects lived experience, shared priorities, and authenticity. According to Cosslett, it’s been an “emotional, but strengthening process” for everyone involved.

“There are so many different contingents and people within the community,” says Cosslett. “It’s important for us to understand those voices and meet them where they are. You can’t skip this process, or you take away the ownership.”

Interactive boards allowed residents to share ideas and priorities for the future of the French Broad River parks system.

From recovery to renewal

The French Broad River Parks Recovery Project marks a shift from emergency response to intentional planning. With much of the FEMA assessment and cleanup completed over the past year, RVi and Sasaki are now translating the insights gained through public engagement into a framework for future design, investment, and phased implementation throughout the riverfront parks and greenways. These frameworks were recently presented at another public open house for feedback and will continue to be refined in reflection of the community.

As we continue to refine the shared priorities established by the community, the work will focus on improved resilience to future flooding as well as river access, ecological restoration, and public spaces that reflect Asheville’s cultural identity as a destination for creativity and recreation.

A year after the storm, billboards along the highway in Buncombe County read WNC Strong. The French Broad River has tested Asheville’s resilience, but it continues to unite the Western North Carolina region. For Asheville, that strength is taking shape through a recovery effort grounded in community, resilience, and sustainable stewardship of the river—connecting past and future, industry and art, loss and renewal. Asheville is shaping a recovery that looks forward—not just to what was, but to what’s possible.

The French Broad River runs through the heart of Asheville, where parks, trails, and neighborhoods converge along the city’s evolving riverfront.

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How RVi leveraged GIS to design a smarter urban tree canopy in Tampa

11/20/2025 Project Spotlight Tagged Under: Landscape Architecture, Public Places, Urban Design

In Tampa’s historic neighborhoods, residents know exactly where the shade disappears, and how hot those blocks can get. In parts of the city with long stretches of exposed pavement, the heat island effect can swing the temperature up to 10 degrees hotter than areas with fuller tree coverage. For residents, the difference is walkability, safety, and quality of life.

To address these disparities, the City of Tampa launched its Trees for Tampa initiative, with a goal to plant 30,000 trees in public spaces by 2030. In areas like these, urban forestry and a healthy tree canopy can be a prime strategy for climate resilience and community wellness. Leading part of that effort is RVi Associate Principal Hannah McAleer, who managed RVi’s segment of the project across several neighborhoods in Ybor City.

The work is far more involved than simply planting trees. Designing a sustainable canopy to combat heat islands required a block-by-block study of site conditions and a thorough understanding of community priorities. Ultimately, McAleer’s team mapped 88 miles of streetscape and delivered construction drawings identifying opportunities for more than 1,000 trees, each species hand-selected for suitability and community impact.

“We listened to the community organizations and the City to understand their goals and concerns,” says McAleer. “That guided our focus, and we had to put boots on the ground to really understand the constraints we were working around.”

Along stretches of streetscape in Tampa’s Ybor neighborhoods, some developers have already taken initiative to begin planting new trees.

Community resilience and equity impacts

The Trees for Tampa initiative, and RVi’s role in the project, aims to achieve the proven environmental, social, and economic benefits that accompany a treed community. Urban forestry has been shown to reduce the urban heat island effect, reducing average temperatures in areas like Tampa’s heat pockets and decreasing energy expenditure on cooling. They increase air quality and mitigate greenhouse gases through the photosynthetic process at scale. Roots absorb water to aid in stormwater management throughout the City. They also contribute to the aesthetics of the community, creating a better retail and living environment that correlate to economic impacts.

Research conducted by the National Institute of Health (NIH) further demonstrates an unequal distribution of trees among lower-income communities. The City of Tampa’s Tree Canopy and Urban Forest Analysis in 2021 supported this conclusion within the City, but acknowledged the tree-planting potential in areas with less coverage. To identify neighborhoods with the highest potential for climate and socioeconomic impact, the City examined Justice40 census tracts and enlisted RVi and other consultants to develop a plan for implementation. Investing in a sustainable tree canopy across multiple underserved neighborhoods is a significant step toward environmental justice.

GIS tools to drive urban forestry

Striking a balance between the human, environmental, and design factors, McAleer and RVi leveraged GIS technology and field data collection to build a detailed database where every proposed tree is mapped, planned, and field-verified to develop an installation strategy suited for dense urban conditions.

“There wasn’t a playbook for turning site data into a set of construction documents for a project of this scale,” says McAleer. “We approached this as a team effort, bringing together viewpoints to ensure we established a framework that functioned for each phase of the project. That was the key to transitioning smoothly from data collection to community input, construction plans, and beyond.”

The team started with a desktop review to identify low-, medium-, and high-opportunity blocks, screening Google Street View for underutilized tree lawns, empty tree grates, potential utility obstructions, oversized roadways, and overall conditions. On the map, each block received a color-coded line based on opportunity level, assigning preset attributes and including detailed notes of observations. High-opportunity spaces were essentially tree-ready, while low-opportunity would require significant and costly walkway or roadway reconstruction. While planting in the most difficult of areas wasn’t included with our plans, those areas were still identified for future streetscape opportunities with the City.

Using ArcGIS Field Maps, RVi took to the streets for further observations. Our team documented what the desktop study couldn’t see—features such as informal driveways, soil nuances, parking habits, utilities, and infrastructure conflicts. We documented measurements and photos of each proposed site in the GIS app, along with notes on structural modifications and input from residents. A well-planned strategy for field documentation was critical for the team to cover almost 90 miles on foot, with the objective creating a field-verified dataset that flowed directly into construction drawings. The team’s upfront planning with Field Maps established attributes and fields that represented a variety of typical and atypical conditions, making data collection significantly more efficient.

Community-driven planning

Working in Ybor City meant navigating a complex mix of industrial, residential, historic, and economic conditions. It’s a culturally rich area with deep Cuban and Italian heritage, where old cigar factories and historic bungalow-style homes still characterize the neighborhoods. Longstanding light industrial and large commercial districts are evolving, transitioning to residential neighborhoods with small commercial and office developments and further driving the need for walkability.

“The community is proud to live and work in these neighborhoods and they desire to see investment for beautification and environmental benefit,” says McAleer. “In the various meetings with community, it was wonderful to see how excited they were about this project positively shaping the future of their neighborhood.”

Community members brought enthusiasm and insights during engagement workshops, where their tree species preferences helped shape the final planting plan.

The fieldwork created opportunities for informal engagement, with residents meeting to talk over coffee at local shops. Discussions with neighborhood leaders and the City in these informal settings drew out concerns and pointed out the routes people favored in their day to day. Their insights helped inform our data collection and shape the final plan.

Formal community engagement included a workshop bringing all the subject neighborhoods together to learn more about the City’s many tree programs and share their project-specific priorities. Maps of tree locations and image boards of urban tree species offered visualizations for residents to learn and provide feedback. During a “green-dot/red-dot” exercise, community members reviewed tree characteristics such as canopy shape, size, persistence, and flowering habits. Attendees of the workshop filled out surveys and questionnaires, which helped guide the next level of mapping and design.

Right tree, right place: Designing a smarter urban canopy

The team quickly discovered the challenges of utilities, limited soil volume, and tree lawn utilization. The project’s success depended upon the plan’s ability to respect the urban constraints and create the conditions for trees to thrive and withstand heat and wind long after planting. In areas where a proposed high-impact canopy conflicted with hardscape conditions, the team identified installation methods and special root zone improvements to enhance survivability.

With the wealth of data in the new GIS model and substantial community input, RVi developed a species palette of 17 native and Florida-friendly trees, each selected for its suitable streetscape character, drought tolerance, storm resilience, and maintenance needs. For final mapping, the proposed trees received unique identifier numbers and points on a map that correlated to a chart outlining available planting width, presence of site-specific constraints, proposed tree types, location coordinates, and any special requirements such as sidewalk demolition and replacement, tree grates, and soil containment systems. Providing this detailed level of specifications created a construction-ready planting plan.

“The team is excited to see this plan implemented and to realize the ecological and social impact of the project over time,” McAleer says.

RVi’s commitment to creating livable public places ran true throughout this project. The city’s investment in urban canopy renewal will have measurable impacts to heat islands and climate resilience. By combining community insight with digital tools, RVi delivered a plan that will shape Tampa’s urban canopy for years to come and bring equity into underinvested neighborhoods.

More than 1,000 proposed trees have been mapped with construction-ready planning. As the city moves toward its 2030 goal to plant 30,000 trees, RVi’s efforts contribute to building healthy, resilient, and equitable public spaces for the residents of Tampa’s three Ybor neighborhoods.

RVi’s final map lists more than 1,000 trees with unique identifier numbers and detailed modifications to ensure survivability.

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Bringing downtown Windsor’s vision to life, from award-winning plan to real world code

10/07/2025 Project Spotlight Tagged Under: Community Development, Urban Design

When Windsor, Colorado set out to reimagine its downtown, the community wasn’t starting from scratch. They already had history, character, and plenty of passion for what their downtown could be. What they needed was a clear vision, and a way to turn that vision into reality. That’s where RVi came in to help shape Colorado’s first Downtown Master Plan.

Phase I: A vision that won hearts (and awards)

The goal for Phase I of the Windsor Downtown Master Plan simple but ambitious: partner with the Windsor Downtown Alliance (WDA) and the Town of Windsor to create a plan that reflected the community’s aspirations for an active, walkable, and vibrant downtown.

RVi Director of Planning Will Wagenlander and his team brought together foundational planning, design strategy, and a fresh creative approach that resonated with Windsor’s leadership and community members.

“From the start, listening was key,” said Will. “Previous projects had left some residents skeptical, so we focused on rebuilding trust, engaging the community in conversations, capturing their ideas, and shaping them into a plan that felt both bold and realistic.”

Instead of a dense, text-heavy document, the RVi team reimagined how to tell Windsor’s story through a visually engaging and easy-to-understand plan. This approach not only connected with Town staff but also energized residents and business owners.

At the heart of the plan was an exciting idea: transforming 5th Street into a pedestrian plaza that could serve as the true hub of downtown. The one block plaza would provide a safe, family friendly gathering space and a north south connection linking residents to nearby parks and Windsor Lake, an especially meaningful improvement given that Main Street, a busy state highway, intersects with 5th Street.

RVi’s visual plan balanced economic development, placemaking, and enhancing the quality of life for residents.

The plan also identified underutilized parcels, analyzed their redevelopment potential, and demonstrated the economic and community benefits of reinvestment. This gave property owners a clearer picture of how their sites could contribute to the larger vision while creating opportunities for growth.

The final plan, full of color and accessible graphics, was met with overwhelming positivity and went on to win the “Colorful Colorado Award: Best Small Town Downtown Plan” at the Downtown Colorado Inc. Annual Conference.

“We’re especially proud of this recognition because it validated Windsor’s vision on a larger, statewide stage,” said Will. “This is one of the fastest-growing areas in Colorado, and I’m glad we were able to capture its potential in a way that resonated.”

Phase II: Transforming the vision into code

It’s one thing to imagine a more vibrant downtown, it’s another to translate that vision into zoning, regulations, and standards that guide real world development.

Thanks to the strong community trust built during Phase I, Windsor invited RVi to continue into Phase II: rewriting the downtown land development code.

For this stage, RVi Senior Planner Courtney Levingston drew on her deep experience in municipal planning and entitlements. Over six months, she led the RVi team in aligning Windsor’s code with the community’s goals, such as allowing residential uses on upper stories to bring more people downtown and enhancing design standards to ensure that new development adds character and energy. Importantly, these design expectations became requirements embedded in the code rather than suggestions in a manual.

“To translate the vision into effective code, we had to stay focused on the big picture,” said Courtney. “Our role was not only to draft regulations but also to empower Windsor by ensuring the code truly reflected their vision. We wanted the Town and community to feel ownership of what we were building together.”

Through this process, RVi helped balance the needs of the Town, the WDA, and community members, building consensus and embedding it into policy that will guide Windsor’s future.

Community engagement and trust have been central to bringing the downtown vision to life.

The RVi difference: Partnering with communities every step of the way

The Windsor Downtown Master Plan shows how RVi supports communities from start to finish, not just with inspiring ideas but with practical tools to bring those ideas to life. From planning and entitlement to community engagement and design, our team is committed to delivering results that set communities up for long term success.

From award winning vision to real world code, Windsor’s story demonstrates what’s possible when creativity, collaboration, and community come together, and we’re proud to have been part of it.

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Build together, play together, stay safe together: Why safety is at the heart of great playscape design

07/28/2025 Project Spotlight Tagged Under: Landscape Architecture, Public Places

In honor of National Park and Recreation Month, we’re highlighting a team member who has spent decades shaping inclusive, safe, and imaginative outdoor spaces: Alan Mackey, Project Director and Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI) at RVi.

With more than 35 years of experience in landscape architecture, park and recreation planning, and design, Alan continues to bring passion, curiosity, and mentorship to every project. This year’s theme, Build Together, Play Together, resonates deeply with Alan’s philosophy that great outdoor spaces are created through collaboration, and that safety is a non-negotiable part of any place built for play.

Alan Mackey, Project Director and CPSI

What inspired you to pursue a career in landscape architecture and planning?

I originally wanted to be an architect, but a friend who had recently graduated from architecture school encouraged me to explore before choosing a major. I explored the many programs the College of Design offered at Iowa State University, including graphic design, art, and urban planning, before settling on landscape architecture. It offered the creative elements I loved: creating outdoor spaces, environmentally sensitive designing, and the opportunity to work outdoors.

A few years out of school, I started working for a firm that focused on park and recreation planning and design, and I was hooked. That’s when I knew I’d found the work I wanted to do.

What do you enjoy the most about your role today?

I love designing parks and outdoor spaces that bring people together across generations. Now, in this phase of my career, I also enjoy mentoring younger designers and helping them explore what they’re passionate about. The profession has evolved so much, and it’s exciting to help new voices find their place in it and help bring their visions to life.

This year’s National Park and Recreation Month theme is “Build Together, Play Together.” How does that show up in your work and your life?

At RVi, we work on a variety of project types, but so many of them include an element of play. Whether it’s a public park or a playscape in a master planned community, we’re always thinking about how to design places where people can connect and enjoy the outdoors together.

A big part of that is working closely with our public parks and recreation partners, from early visioning and community engagement to technical design and construction. We collaborate to understand their goals, operational needs, and the unique character of each place so that the end result truly reflects the community it serves.

For example, we’re designing a playscape in Waco, Texas, where the surrounding environment is full of wildlife. We brought that into the design with wooden play structures, animal footprints along trails, aquatic-themed elements so that kids can feel immersed in a story as they play. We also focus heavily on inclusivity: age range, accessibility, ability. Our goal is to create environments where everyone can play together, not just side by side.

What inspired you to become a Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI)?

A few years ago, I was working on a playground project where the design used a custom element that connected to more traditional features. We ran into a few safety challenges, and I realized how much we were relying on manufacturers to guide those decisions. I wanted to become more informed so I could better guide our design teams and our clients.

I took a CPSI class through National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) and became certified. Now, I can spot potential issues early, advise our team during the early stages of design, and collaborate more effectively with manufacturers andthird-party inspectors. It’s made us stronger designers, and ultimately, it helps protect three things: the users, the client, and our own integrity as professionals.

How does your CPSI certification influence your approach to playground projects?

It’s become part of our design process from the start. We think about safety during the schematic phase so we can explore creative options that still meet the standards. We don’t do the official inspections. That has to come from a third party, but having that second-level awareness of safety measures allows us to catch potential issues both in design and in the field, and that’s been a valuable added layer of protection and quality assurance.

Playscapes are places where both kids and adults go to have a fun, positive experience, and it’s our job to create that by paying close attention to safety in our designs.

A playscape at La Cima in Austin, Texas, designed by RVi.

What do you wish more people knew about the impact of parks?

Parks often have the least environmental impact of any land use, offering communities a way to connect with nature while helping preserve the existing landscape (native grasses, mature tree cover, and open space). They create meaningful outdoor experiences without contributing to overdevelopment or long-term harm to the environment, and they reflect a commitment to environmental and community stewardship.

A park in the Mueller Southwest Greenway in Austin, Texas, designed by RVi.

What’s a challenge you’ve encountered in your work?

Sometimes it’s tough to get full buy-in on more creative or sustainability-focused ideas. Many of our clients are on board, but there are still times when we have to explain the long-term values of sustainability that don’t fit a traditional mold.

In the public sector, funding and timelines can often be tight. But working together with our public partners, we’ve found ways to balance innovation with feasibility, telling the story behind a design and building trust through collaboration. That’s where RVi shines, we know how to connect the dots between community vision, technical realities, and lasting value.

Why did you choose to join RVi?

When I moved to Texas in 2014, I saw that RVi had a dedicated Parks & Recreation division, that sealed it for me. I’ve since worked on a wide range of project types, including master planned communities, which gave me new insight into how parks function as essential community amenities. That perspective has only deepened my appreciation for great park design.

Fun fact: What’s something your colleagues might not know about you?

I sang in the church choir in high school, and in college, a friend in my dorm was in the men’s glee club. They were short on members, so he asked me to join, and I said sure, why not? So I was a singer and glee club member for two years and had a great time.

Final Thought

Alan’s work reminds us that building spaces for play isn’t just about fun. It’s about trust, inclusivity, stewardship, and thoughtful design. His deep commitment to safety and mentorship helps ensure that the parks and playscapes we create, in partnership with our clients and communities, aren’t just places to gather, but places where communities of all ages feel welcome, protected, and inspired to explore. That’s what “Build Together, Play Together” truly looks like in action.