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Designing for belonging: What master planned communities and outdoor hospitality teach us about connection

09/29/2026 Voice Tagged Under: Community Development, Hospitality, Landscape Architecture, Planning

By Lance Ippel, Senior Planner at RVi Planning + Landscape Architecture

When we talk about “community” as designers, we aren’t just talking about the physical layout of streets, parks, or open spaces. Community is all about connection, and design plays an important role in how people connect to each other. In my experience designing master planned communities (MPCs) and outdoor hospitality destinations, I’ve seen the way spaces influence how people meet, socialize, and ultimately feel a sense of belonging. These outcomes are not accidental. They emerge from the careful layering of social connections, programs, and design elements.

As a landscape designer, I approach every project with the end user in mind. How will someone move through this space? How will they find their way, meet others, or carve out solitude when they need it? How do the functional community components, amenities, and activities interact to create an experience that feels welcoming to everyone? I answer all these questions through a layered design approach.

Layered design is a method of creating outdoor spaces by considering the various ecological, functional, and aesthetic elements that overlap and interact with each other. It ensures that all the elements of a personalized, inviting space, such as easy navigation, welcoming gathering spaces, and flexibility, all come together seamlessly to create a positive experience. MPCs and outdoor hospitality spaces are two types of communities that may have different physical outcomes but share a common design goal: to create environments that are intuitive, engaging, and welcoming to everyone.

Two worlds, one goal: Connection

At first glance, a master planned community and an outdoor hospitality destination may seem like two very different worlds. MPCs are long-term residential environments built to support everyday life, while outdoor hospitality can mean anything from a weekend camping trip to a month-long RV adventure. But the truth is that both share a surprising number of design goals.

First, navigation and connectivity are central to both. In a community, residents should be able to comfortably navigate their neighborhood whether by foot, bike, or car. As a designer, I often imagine how I would give directions to a friend visiting for the first time. No matter how large the development, people should never feel lost or disoriented. In outdoor hospitality, this concept shows up in how people drive into a site, park, and then shift into pedestrian mode. Campgrounds, glamping resorts, and RV parks all need clear wayfinding so guests can relax into their experience instead of worrying about getting around.

Both types of environments also rely heavily on gathering spaces. In MPCs, these might be central plazas, pedestrian promenades, or flexible-use parks where a neighborhood can host a birthday party one weekend and a cultural festival the next. Outdoor hospitality spaces also provide central nodes, but they often lean more toward walkable, intimate hubs like campfire circles, picnic shelters, or trailheads that naturally invite interaction with both people and nature.

Finally, both require a strong balance between individualized experiences and collective engagement. In a master planned community, residents may want quiet sidewalks for evening walks as much as they want vibrant community centers. In an outdoor resort, a guest might choose between spending time solo in a hammock or joining a group hike. Both contexts succeed when they provide options for socializing that feel comfortable no matter if someone comes alone, in a couple, with family, or as part of a larger group. healing process.

Different scales and different rhythms

The key difference in these two communities lies in scale and permanence.

Master planned communities are designed for longevity and growth over decades. I see them as functioning like a puzzle within a puzzle, where each section has its own identity but connects seamlessly to the larger whole. These places are built to feel like home in the truest sense: a backdrop for daily routines, family milestones, and neighborhood traditions. That makes navigation and comfort especially important because residents need to feel secure, grounded, and confident that their community supports the rhythms of everyday life.

The layering of spaces, connections, and programs in MPCs creates a flexible security and comfort, supporting both everyday life and moments of connection.

Outdoor hospitality environments, on the other hand, are temporary by nature. Visitors are usually there for a defined time, and their needs revolve around creating a meaningful experience in a short span. That makes walkability even more critical. Guests typically arrive by vehicle but then want everything within a short stroll once they’re on-site. For strategic designers, the challenge is twofold: creating spaces that immediately engage people during their stay while also weaving in experiences and elements that are memorable enough to draw them back again and again. Whether it’s the comfort of easily navigating a site, the charm of a communal fire pit where strangers become friends, or the uniqueness of a trail system that feels both accessible and adventurous, these touchpoints turn a temporary visit into a lasting connection.

Thoughtful layering of experiences encourages both private moments and social connection, allowing outdoor hospitality resorts to become a home away from home, drawing users back for more, and offering comfort and familiarity even in a new and temporary setting.

Layering experiences to build belonging and community

For the end user, a successfully layered experience translates into comfort, ease, and ultimately personal connection.

In an MPC, strong pedestrian connectivity means parents can let kids bike to the park with confidence. Central gathering areas mean neighbors can meet without needing to drive across town. The sidewalk in front of a home can connect to the regional trail system that connects scenic landscapes to the larger city. Thoughtful layered design transforms what could be just another subdivision into a neighborhood where people know each other’s names.

In outdoor hospitality, layered experiences ensure that even in an unfamiliar setting, visitors feel grounded. Clear trails, logical layouts, and inviting gathering spaces help guests focus less on logistics and more on connection, whether that’s roasting marshmallows with strangers around a campfire or simply enjoying a quiet morning coffee with a view.

The overlap between these two worlds reminds us that layered design is not just about the lines on a plan. It is about shaping human experience in ways that make people feel at home. When design is fragmented or disconnected, people notice. Confusing layouts, inaccessible gathering spaces, or a lack of flexible options all make it harder for people to feel comfortable. Layering social opportunities, programming, and design elements by contrast, removes barriers and fosters both intentional and spontaneous connection.

Community doesn’t happen by accident. It is cultivated through intentional design choices that prioritize meaningful connection, flexibility, and comfort. These environments don’t just provide shelter or recreation; they build empathy, strengthen neighborhoods, and expand cultural horizons.

Layered design is the thread that weaves these experiences together. It bridges the permanent and the temporary, the familiar and the new. When we peer past the overt presentation of a space—be it a master planned community or outdoor hospitality—we can better design for connection and belonging. In doing so, we do more than build spaces; we build community, shared culture, and a lasting sense of place

Author Bio: Lance Ippel is a Senior Planner at RVi Planning + Landscape Architecture in the Austin, Texas office and has more than nine years of experience in landscape architecture, planning, and land use. His work spans master-planned communities, RV and glamping resorts, marinas, and parks, where he coordinates projects and integrates land use, infrastructure, and design to create places that fit their surroundings and serve the people who use them. A member of ASLA and ULI, Lance is passionate about outdoor hospitality and shaping places that connect people to nature.

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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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Employee Spotlight: RVi Principal Jack Caldwell, PLA on how a passion for golf led to landscape architecture, creating places that shape lasting memories, and taking on the next challenge.

09/15/2026 People Tagged Under: Campuses, Community Development, Landscape Architecture

Based in RVi’s Orlando office, Principal Jack Caldwell, PLA, was recently promoted to Principal, marking the latest chapter in a career that began with an interest in golf course design. With more than 16 years of experience in landscape architecture, Jack’s work spans residential communities, institutional campuses, commercial development, streetscapes, and golf-focused projects.

His work has taken him from master planning and site design through detailed design and construction, including projects such as the Florida Gulf Coast University Great Lawn, Esplanade communities across the Southeast, and Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club.

In this Employee Spotlight, Jack shares what continues to challenge and inspire him, the project that helped shape him as a landscape architect, how golf continues to influence his work, and what happens when a landscape architect decides to take on American Ninja Warrior.

What inspired you to pursue a career in landscape architecture?

My interest in landscape architecture began in high school, when I dreamed of becoming a golf course architect. As I explored that path, I learned that landscape architecture was the foundation for designing golf courses. That discovery introduced me to the broader possibilities of the profession and set me on the career path I’ve followed ever since.

Team Caldwell at the ballpark! ⚾ Jack with his wife, Kaleigh, daughter Capri, and son Sawyer, enjoying some family time at a Braves game.

You were recently promoted to Principal. What does reaching this point in your career mean to you, and how do you see your role changing?

If you had asked me three, five, or even 10 years ago if I would be capable of filling a Principal role at a firm like RVi, I probably would have doubted it. Reaching this point is a testament to the mentors I’ve had throughout my career and the opportunities I’ve had to grow.

It’s incredibly rewarding to be part of a firm that creates a path for an ambitious, competitive person like me to achieve those career goals and recognize the hard work that goes into them. I’ve had mentors at RVi who have stuck with me through both failure and success. It hasn’t been a perfect path, and I’m certainly not perfect, but I think that’s part of the story. We learn from our failures and our successes, and we become who we are through that process.

Looking ahead, I see my role shifting to focus more on strategically building teams, improving our systems and services, strengthening our client network, and taking greater ownership of the health of the business. I’m excited about the challenges ahead.

You originally dreamed of becoming a golf course architect. How does that early passion for golf still influence the way you think about landscape architecture today?

Golf was really the thing that connected me to the outdoors. It became a retreat from the stress of life as a young person—my escape and a place where I could connect with the outdoors in all kinds of environments.

I grew up in Sebring, Florida, where we had lakes and golf courses everywhere, so golf became a big part of my life. I was a high school All-American and a scratch golfer. It was pretty consuming.

As I got older, I realized I was ready for another chapter, but the passion for golf and design never completely went away. Today, I have the opportunity to design master-planned communities with golf courses, help plan the courses, and work alongside golf course architects through design and implementation. In that sense, it has really come full circle.

It took 13 to 15 years before I started having the opportunity to play a key role in golf course planning and routing, and now I’m doing it pretty regularly. So, the dream didn’t completely go away.

And for those wondering: Jack says his current golf handicap is about a 12.

Jack and daughter, Capri conquered the 2025 Spartan race together—obstacles, grit, and all—and came home with hard-earned medals!

What has been your favorite or most challenging design project?

The Great Lawn at Florida Gulf Coast University has been my favorite project so far. As an Associate Project Manager at the time, I learned more from this project than any other about the full design and implementation process—from stakeholder collaboration, client communication, and teamwork to contracts, scheduling, construction details, and execution.

The project became a tangible expression of everything I was learning as I pursued my professional landscape architecture license, and it played a significant role in preparing me for and helping me pass the licensure exams.

Most rewarding of all was seeing how the design influenced campus life—how people moved through the space, gathered there, and made it part of their daily experience.

The Great Lawn at Florida Gulf Coast University

Is there another project that has particular significance to you?

Esplanade at St. Marys in St. Marys, Georgia, stands out for a different reason. It was the first project where I really played a key role in the design. I was able to be involved up front in planning and design and then stay involved through execution alongside the golf course architect.

Being able to help bring the course to life from start to finish made it especially meaningful. There are a lot of projects I could point to, but some become sentimental because they represent pivotal moments in your career.

You compete in American Ninja Warrior competitions. How did this start?

My daughter was five years old, and we loved watching the show together. She would just light up every time it came on, so I started looking for a gym where we could try it.

We found one about a mile from our house. It had no air conditioning and there was a dumpster out front. It was basically a small industrial warehouse, but it gave us a place to learn and train. She absolutely fell in love with it, and I wanted to be alongside her on that journey, so I started training and competing with her.

She’s now 13 and has been ranked in the top 10 in the world for the past four years. So, it’s become a really big part of our story.

For me, it’s also a way to stay connected with her. Those moments become harder to find as kids get older, so I’m still trying to be the old guy who can keep up. I have a rip on my hand right now because of it, so it’s not always easy, but it’s worth it.

I’ll be competing in Tampa soon, and my daughter is going to be my coach.

Like father, like daughter. Jack and Capri celebrate their UNAA medals after competing together in one of their favorite shared adventures.

Jack and family enjoying the great outdoors.

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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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RVi Planning + Landscape Architecture promotes Ryan Binkowski to President

06/09/2026 People Tagged Under: Campuses, Community Development, Hospitality + Entertainment, Land Planning, Landscape Architecture, Outdoor Hospitality, Planning, Public Places, Urban Design, Urban Planning

June 9, 2026 (Austin, TX) – RVi Planning + Landscape Architecture (RVi) is pleased to announce the appointment of Ryan Binkowski as President. Binkowski, who served as Senior Vice President of Operations, has assumed the role following the retirement of longtime President Chris Crawford.

Binkowski brings extensive operational leadership experience and a deep understanding of RVi’s business, culture, and clients. Since joining the company, he has played a key role in driving operational excellence, strengthening team performance, and supporting strategic growth initiatives.

“Ryan’s leadership, vision, and commitment to our people and clients make him the right choice to lead RVi into its next chapter as the best outdoor experience design studio in the country,” said Crawford. “His track record of delivering results and fostering collaboration positions the company for continued success.”

Binkowski said he is honored to step into the role. “I’m excited to build on the strong foundation that Chris and our team have established to ‘Design a Better World’.” RVi has an exceptional group of professionals, and I look forward to working together to continue delivering outstanding service to our clients and partners.”

Over the course of his 40-year career, Crawford has been instrumental in RVi’s growth and success. His leadership and dedication have helped shape the firm’s culture, strengthen its reputation, and guide its continued evolution.

RVi remains committed to delivering innovative solutions and exceptional service as it enters this new leadership chapter.

At RVi, we advocate for nature, inspire creativity, tell captivating stories, and forge strong relationships to create places with staying power. Through creative strategy and design, we lead integrated teams to envision the world’s next great communities, public places, campuses, and hospitality experiences. RVi is a part of the Atwell Family of Companies.

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Chris Crawford’s next chapter: Retirement

05/29/2026 People Tagged Under: Campuses, Community Development, Hospitality + Entertainment, Land Planning, Landscape Architecture, Outdoor Hospitality, Planning, Public Places, Urban Design, Urban Planning

After decades of leadership and lasting impact, Chris Crawford is stepping into retirement and closing an extraordinary chapter at RVi. Over the course of his career, Chris has helped shape not only the firm’s growth, but also the culture and relationships that define it today. We sat down with him to reflect on his journey, the moments that mattered most, and the perspective he’s gained along the way.

How did you start working at RVi?

I joined RVi as a new college graduate in May 1986. The firm actually taught my senior design class at Texas A&M, and I was hired through that connection while I was still in school. I graduated on a Friday and started the following Monday. I still remember my first-day outfit: a mauve shirt and matching mauve pants.

Early on, I had the opportunity to work closely with the firm’s founder, Bob Richardson, and build a strong relationship with him. He became a mentor to me. After some time, I left RVi to gain experience at another firm, but seven years later, I returned. I’ve now spent the last 32 years here.

It’s a good reminder of how important relationships are. You never know when your paths might cross again or where those connections might lead.

What moments from your time at RVi stand out most to you?

Leaving RVi is not easy. This place has shaped my life in ways I will always carry with me.

I met my wife here, which makes this chapter even more meaningful, and even harder to step away from. But what I will remember most are the people. The relationships built here have defined my career and made it truly special.

Many clients and colleagues have become lifelong friends. Some of those friendships go back to when I started my career 40 years ago, and even now, we can pick up right where we left off. Even if we haven’t spoken in a long time, the moment we reconnect, it feels like no time has passed.

That sense of connection is what makes RVi different, and it is what I will carry forward.

What was your favorite or most memorable project?

I’ve had the chance to travel widely and work on a variety of meaningful projects. I’m proud of what we’ve created. Our work influences how people live, gather, and play, and I’ve been able to visit these places and see that impact firsthand. What we design becomes part of people’s everyday lives and some of their most meaningful moments. Our communities are the backdrop for first birthdays, graduations, and countless everyday experiences.

We’re not just designing projects; we’re helping shape communities in lasting ways. That’s what made every new project something to look forward to.

Looking back on your time as President, what is one thing you are most proud of?

I’m incredibly proud of how much RVi has grown. Not long ago, we were a firm of about 25 people. Today, we’re nearly 200 strong. Along the way, we’ve expanded our geographic reach and built meaningful relationships with clients and communities across the country.

What matters most is how we’ve grown. We’ve stayed true to who we are. Our creativity, our vision, and our genuine desire to shape the world around us remain at the core of everything we do. As we’ve grown, we’ve stayed grounded in the values that defined us early on, and that balance is something I’m especially proud of.

What excites you most about the future of RVi?

What excites me most is the depth of talent we’ve built, especially as we’ve brought several great firms into the fold. The people who have joined us bring new perspectives, fresh ideas, and a level of creativity that continues to push us forward.

We’re in a position now where we’re not only expanding geographically, but also expanding what we’re capable of as a firm. We’re continuing to lean into innovation, explore new ideas, and take on projects in areas we haven’t worked in before. That combination of experience and new energy is incredibly exciting, and it opens the door to possibilities we’ve never had before.

What is your advice to those just starting out their career in landscape architecture?

Focus on building relationships. Your career is about much more than good work and design. It’s about getting to know your clients, understanding what matters to them, and developing genuine, lasting connections. Those relationships are often the most meaningful part of what we do, and they shape not only the success of a project but the experience of working on it.

What do you plan on doing with your time now that you are retiring?

I’m looking forward to spending more time with my wife, children, and grandchildren. I’m also excited to enjoy some of the things I love, including traveling, fishing, painting, and spending time on our ranch.

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Flexible zoning and entitlement strategies: How to create opportunities for master planned communities to adapt and evolve over time

05/28/2026 Voice Tagged Under: Community Development, Land Planning, Landscape Architecture, Planning

By Mark Reddie, Regional Vice President, Southwest at RVi

Over the course of my career, I have spent more than 30 years helping communities across the Southwest plan for growth through comprehensive planning, annexation, rezoning, and subdivision design. More recently, I have had the opportunity to work alongside Chris Baker, RVi Principal in Reno, whose decades of experience in entitlement strategy and community planning have added valuable perspective to our work on large-scale master planned communities. Together, we have focused on helping clients balance long-term vision, market realities, infrastructure coordination, and community expectations in ways that allow communities to evolve successfully over time.

Throughout our work, one question continues to guide our approach: how can a community planned today continue to thrive decades from now?

It is a question rooted in the realities of modern growth. Housing demands evolve, infrastructure priorities shift, and market conditions fluctuate, developers and municipalities are being challenged to plan communities that can respond to long-term change without losing their identity. For large scale master planned communities, this requires more than securing zoning approvals. It requires an entitlement strategy that creates a durable framework for flexibility, predictability, design quality, and community character.

Through our work across the U.S., particularly in the southwest, including the Solstice Foothills community in Goodyear, Arizona, Chris and I have seen first-hand how flexible zoning, a thoughtful entitlement strategy, and meaningful community engagement can help create stronger, more resilient development outcomes. The most successful long-term planning frameworks balance adaptability and certainty in ways that allow communities to evolve responsibly over time.

Entitlement strategy is no longer just about approvals

For decades, entitlement strategy was often treated as a regulatory milestone, a necessary step to secure zoning approvals and move a development project forward. I believe that approach is becoming increasingly outdated.

Today, the strongest communities are planned with enough structure to create certainty and enough flexibility to evolve with the people, markets and public priorities that will shape them over time.

That philosophy shaped nearly every major decision we made on Solstice Foothills. From the beginning, we recognized that housing demand, infrastructure needs, development economics, and market conditions would continue to shift throughout the life of the project. The entitlement strategy needed to acknowledge that reality instead of assuming the future would remain static.

At RVi, we work at the intersection of land planning, entitlement strategy, community engagement and community design. Increasingly, that work also begins before a project officially enters the entitlement process.

As Chris often points out, “RVi is frequently involved during the due diligence and purchase agreement stages, helping developers, brokers, property owners, and investors align on transaction timing, infrastructure planning, and entitlement strategy early enough to create realistic and achievable development outcomes.”

That perspective allows us to think beyond immediate zoning approvals and focus on how communities will adapt, create long-term value, and maintain a strong identity over decades of implementation.

In my experience, flexible zoning works best when paired with strong planning principles, clear community expectations, and targeted safeguards that build trust over time.

A case study in flexible entitlement strategy

One of the biggest misconceptions in land development is that entitlement strategy is simply about securing the maximum number of units, density, or intensity for a project. In reality, particularly for master planned communities, entitlement strategy is one of the most important tools for establishing a framework for long-term success. A strong entitlement strategy can shape flexibility, design quality, infrastructure coordination, regulatory safeguards, and the ability of a community to respond to changing market conditions over time. That became clear early in the planning process for Solstice Foothills.

The original planned area development (PAD) for the property (formerly known as Rio 1900) had been approved nearly 20 years earlier and reflected a very different housing market and development environment. The challenge was not simply updating the zoning code but creating a flexible entitlement framework that could remain viable over a much longer development timeline.

We recognized early that a conventional zoning approach would likely create limitations over time. Traditional zoning districts tend to separate land uses rigidly and assume the market will remain relatively stable. But large-scale communities do not develop all at once. They evolve over decades as housing preferences change, product-types shift, infrastructure priorities adapt, and economic conditions fluctuate. Rigid zoning frameworks often struggle to accommodate those realities.

Chris describes this approach as “market proofing” entitlement strategy; creating frameworks resilient enough to respond to changing development conditions while still preserving the long-term vision for a community.

As he puts it, “Every planner has a ‘could have been’ story. While we cannot plan for everything, it is our responsibility to use the tools available to ensure good ideas and strong projects have every opportunity to be realized.”

The 7 Land Use Character Areas (LUCA) that establish the framework for a comprehensive and flexible community plan in Solstice Foothills.

Planning in the grey

Rather than assigning every parcel to a fixed zoning category from the outset, we used a Land Use Character Area, or LUCA, framework. This approach focused more on the intended character, function, and compatibility of different areas rather than locking each location into one permanent zoning category.

In many ways, flexible zoning acknowledges an important reality in planning.

As Chris explains, “Land use and zoning code is black and white, but good planning is often done in the grey.”

Regional plans, zoning ordinances, and municipal policies often move slower than the market itself. As a result, innovative housing types, mixed-use concepts, and evolving development trends may not be fully anticipated by existing code frameworks.

The LUCA framework helped address that challenge by creating overlapping opportunities for residential development, commercial uses, civic spaces, parks, trails, and open space systems while still maintaining logical transitions and compatibility throughout the community.

This approach preserved a clear long-term vision while giving future phases enough flexibility to respond to market demand, infrastructure timing, and community needs.

Flexibility requires guardrails

Flexible zoning does not mean uncertainty, lack of accountability, or an open-ended development program. In many cases, flexible entitlement strategies require more thoughtful planning and more detailed safeguards than conventional zoning approaches.

To make flexibility workable, we paired it with clear expectations around:

Open space connectivity
Integrated trail systems
Infrastructure planning
Design quality
Transition standards between neighborhoods
Compatibility between land uses
Regulatory safeguards

Without those guardrails, flexibility can create uncertainty. With them, it can create resilience, adaptability, and trust.

This balance is especially important for municipalities. Cities need confidence that infrastructure, compatibility, phasing, and implementation will be addressed responsibly. Developers need enough flexibility to respond to changing market conditions, housing preferences, and long-term economic realities.

The strongest entitlement strategies recognize both sides of that equation.

Community engagement strengthens entitlement strategy

One of the most important lessons from Solstice Foothills was how closely community engagement and entitlement strategy intersect.

At public hearings, residents rarely respond to zoning terminology. They respond to outcomes: walkability, parks, buffers, traffic, trails, infrastructure, compatibility, perimeter protections, impacts to property values, and quality of life.

Successful conversations focus less on entitlement language and more on how people will actually experience the community and how it will impact surrounding properties.

Listening first made a significant difference.

During neighborhood outreach, nearby residents expressed concerns about lot transitions and maintaining the character of adjacent neighborhoods. Instead of applying broad restrictions across the entire project, we created targeted regulatory safeguards specific to those perimeter areas.

For example, one neighboring community had 80-foot-wide residential lots backing up to the project site. Residents were concerned about smaller lots directly behind them. In response, we incorporated standards requiring either open space or lots of comparable width along that specific portion of the perimeter.

That level of customization would have been difficult under a more rigid zoning structure.

Throughout the public process, city leaders also emphasized the importance of preserving the site’s connection to the broader identity of Goodyear. During the City Council hearing, one council member noted that the property and its legacy are “so important to the history of Goodyear,” reinforcing the idea that long-term planning must balance future growth with community character.

We have seen similar dynamics on other projects as well. One recent entitlement project, nearby equestrian residents wanted to preserve horse trail access adjacent to the development. By listening carefully, we incorporated a natural-surface multi-use trail along the perimeter. That solution addressed neighborhood concerns while strengthening the project overall. When it came time to present the project for approval to the City Council, the neighbors showed up in support of the project and complemented the team on listening and addressing their concerns.

Those conversations reinforced an important point: flexible zoning is not about doing whatever the project team wants. It is about creating a framework that can strategically respond to community concerns while still meeting the client’s goals and preserving long-term project adaptability.

In many ways, flexibility requires more collaboration, transparency, and trust, not less.

The future of zoning and entitlement strategy

Overly rigid zoning can create weaker communities over time because it assumes the future will look exactly like today. It can also assume that every project across a diverse city should be subject to identical requirements, regardless of context, location, market conditions, or community character.

That assumption becomes increasingly risky on projects with long implementation timelines.

At Solstice Foothills, the entitlement framework was intentionally designed to preserve flexibility while maintaining a cohesive planning vision and community identity.

As Amy Weidman, Vice President of Development at Harvard Investments, explained, “We wanted a framework that could evolve with the market while still maintaining a cohesive vision for the community.”

That mindset shaped the project from the beginning. The LUCA framework, integrated open space systems, evolving housing mix, and phased flexibility would have been significantly more difficult under a conventional zoning structure.

At the same time, municipalities still need certainty around infrastructure, compatibility, and implementation. That tension between certainty and adaptability is where many entitlement conversations now live. Some municipalities are becoming more open to flexible zoning approaches. Others remain cautious, particularly because highly customized zoning districts can become difficult to administer over time. That concern is understandable. Cities are balancing staffing, consistency, infrastructure planning, implementation, and long-term governance responsibilities.

Planning communities that can evolve

At RVi, we have found that the most successful projects integrate community visioning, infrastructure planning, market realities, land planning, and entitlement strategy from the beginning rather than treating them as separate or piecemeal efforts.

When those conversations happen early, projects are better positioned to adapt responsibly without losing their identity.

I believe entitlement frameworks will continue moving toward more performance-based and character-based planning approaches that prioritize outcomes, flexibility, and integrated community design over rigid land use separation.

The communities that endure will not be the ones frozen in time. They will be the ones designed with enough flexibility to evolve while still delivering a strong sense of place, long-term value, and community character.

That is what we set out to accomplish at Solstice Foothills, and it reflects where the future of entitlement strategy is headed.

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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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Employee Spotlight: Creative Director Sean McKenna on storytelling, brand design, and creating places people remember

05/13/2026 People Tagged Under: Community Development, Hospitality + Entertainment, Outdoor Hospitality, Public Places

“A well-executed brand makes the intangible unforgettable. Brand design turns business goals into ideas, identities, and environments that delight and inspire.” – Sean McKenna, Creative Director

Based in Austin, Texas, Sean McKenna is a multidisciplinary creative director, designer, and brand strategist who helps clients uncover the unique identity of a place and shape it into memorable, experience-driven brands. As leader of RVi’s Visioning + Brand Design practice, he guides the development of narratives, identities, and environments that connect people to place through thoughtful storytelling, strategic visioning, and purposeful design.

What originally drew you to creative direction and brand design?

I’ve always been drawn to graphic design. As a kid obsessed with motocross, I was fascinated not just by the bikes, but by the logos, colors, and identities behind them. (I mean, how cool is the CZ logo? Simple, powerful, and crafted. Like the bike itself.) Growing up in the golden age of television, rock music, and being raised Catholic, I became deeply aware of the power of culture, design, and the stories symbols can tell.

That fascination became a career path when my sister Kate, then Art Director at the Austin American-Statesman, introduced me to the Macintosh while I was in college. Watching her design newspaper layouts on a computer was a revelation. The idea that you could build a meaningful career at the intersection of creativity and business changed everything for me. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of working at both large and small advertising and design studios alongside talented clients and creative directors—many of whom I still collaborate with today.

How did your path ultimately lead you to RVi?

Honestly, it was the love of tacos.

In spring 2023, after more than a decade running my own design studio, I happened to run into Trent Rush and Joemy Buschur at an Austin taco shop. I knew Trent from a multifamily project in San Antonio years earlier—he was the landscape architect, and I was responsible for the project’s name, identity, signage, and overall brand experience. At the time of our reunion, Trent was leading the Austin office of Hitchcock Design Group (HDG) and mentioned the firm was looking to refresh aspects of its brand.

What began as a small branding engagement quickly evolved into a much larger creative partnership. As I got to know the broader HDG team and the caliber of their work, I became increasingly invested in the company’s vision and culture. Eventually, it made sense to formalize the relationship, and I joined the team full-time. Along the way, I led a comprehensive rebrand of HDG—one that I’d like to think helped position the company as an attractive addition to Atwell and RVi.

What excites you most about leading the Visioning + Brand Design practice area at RVi?

The opportunities! We have an incredibly talented group of planners and landscape architects “shaping the world” across the country. Visioning and brand design adds another layer, helping define why those places exist in the first place, how they’re experienced, and how they connect with people.

It’s a chance to move upstream in the process, align teams early, and create a clear narrative that moves from concept to construction and beyond. What I’m really hoping we do, in large part, is to help clients fall in love with their own story.

When you start working on a new project, what are the first things you look for to uncover the true identity of a place?

Of course, the nature and conditions of the site itself. What does the land and location already tell us? Who are the people we’re creating this for (our true client)? What motivates them? Why should they care about what we’re doing? How will we affect and improve their lives? I’m looking for differentiation. And perhaps some kind of cognitive or creative dissonance. Those seams are where the truth lies.

Why should clients include Visioning + Branding in their project?

We treat visioning as both strategic and creative, in that order. It’s not just mood boards and inspiration. It’s about aligning stakeholders around a clear idea of what the place is, who it’s for, and how it should feel. From there, everything else becomes more focused and more efficient. Done well, it greatly simplifies decision-making.

What separates a brand that simply looks good from one that truly resonates with people? 

Well, a brand isn’t simply the way something looks. A brand isn’t a logo. It’s the feeling people get when they interact with or experience the brand. It’s the way sales teams speak to clients and prospects. It’s the way the brand anticipates someone’s arrival and navigation of a place. In other words, it’s not what we say it is, it’s what they say it is. 

Is there a project in your career that changed the way you think about branding or placemaking? 

One project that truly changed the way I think about branding and placemaking was one I worked on while running Sean McKenna Design, in partnership with agency partner Wick Marketing, for a major Southern California developer. The work was groundbreaking, and I think that was largely because the client, agency, and consultants all aligned around a two-day visioning session held in a construction trailer onsite. Custom invitations were created, and participants were given a list of questions in advance to juice the conversation. We knew from the start that they wanted to keep the working name of the project, “Skyline,” given the expansive vistas provided by the site. That name, and what it conjures, provided a great visual metaphor for visioning (and ultimately the brand). Descriptive language, tone of voice, meeting graphics, posters, charts and more used that to great advantage.

We even wrote a “brand anthem” together, led by Austin-based singer-songwriter Darden Smith. It was an ideal melding of business strategy and out-of-the-box creative thinking but requiring the team to quickly articulate what was truly important to them from a visioning standpoint. It was like trying to create an elevator pitch in 4/4 time. Very fun, very revealing.

Ultimately, we created a brand centered around a new tagline, “Life wide open,” and developed a campaign that included the individual naming and branding of four launch neighborhoods, website design, print, radio, digital and television advertising (including full page ads in the LA Times), signage, wayfinding and more. The work garnered a Gold Award for Best Digital Marketing Campaign at The Nationals, held at the International Builders’ Show.

I look forward to bringing that same spirit of collaboration, openness, and big-picture thinking to the work we’re building at RVi.

Where do you find creative inspiration outside of work? 

I’m an avid guitarist, and I play in a band and absolutely love it. But good ideas are everywhere if you’re looking for them. Being in nature, traveling, and honestly just paying attention. Experiencing and participating in creative expressions outside of what you do for a living will keep the juices flowing, introduce new ways of thinking, and remove some of the constraints we put ourselves under. 

What advice would you give someone interested in getting into brand design or creative direction? 

Listen. Be a sponge. Read everything. Becoming a better writer will help you learn to articulate and defend an idea. Design is important but understanding people and translating ideas clearly are what will really set you apart. Don’t rely solely on AI tools – you have to develop an aesthetic and learn to think for yourself.

Sean McKenna doing his part to keep the trout population humble. Catch, quick photo, clean release — no fish were harmed.

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Rethinking urban value: Turning overlooked spaces into high-impact places

04/28/2026 Voice Tagged Under: Campuses, Community Development, Hospitality + Entertainment, Land Planning, Landscape Architecture, Outdoor Hospitality, Planning, Public Places, Urban Design, Urban Planning

Across cities of every size, there is a growing recognition that some of the most valuable opportunities aren’t found on blank canvases; they exist in the overlooked, the underperforming, and the in-between. Vacant lots, aging plazas, and leftover parcels are increasingly being reimagined as meaningful public places that support daily life, strengthen the city’s identity, and create lasting value and memories.

This shift we’re seeing reflects a broader evolution in how urban spaces are understood and designed. Unlocking that value is not about starting from scratch. It is about recognizing the potential in what already exists and designing with intention, flexibility, and a clear understanding of how people actually use space.

“The best urban spaces aren’t defined by what they were—they’re defined by what they can become when you understand the community around them,” says RVi’s Joel Baldin, ASLA, Director of Urban Design.

From civic plazas in Chicago to adaptive reuse destinations like The Exchange in Fort Collins, we’ve seen how constraints, context, and willingness to see things differently can create something entirely new and impactful.

Seeing opportunity where others see contraints

The foundation of reimagining underutilized urban space starts with a shift in perspective. What may appear to be a limitation, an awkward parcel, aging infrastructure, or financial constraints, often becomes the catalyst for more inventive, more resilient design solutions.

Baldin emphasizes that this process begins with listening: “Every site has a story, even the ones that feel overlooked. Our role is to uncover that story and translate it into a space that feels intentional and relevant to the people who use it.”

Rather than imposing a predetermined design language, the approach should focus on context, community input and engagement, and flexibility. Urban plazas, for example, are no longer treated as static spaces, but as adaptable environments where “cool things happen,” from performances and markets to everyday informal use.

In projects like Monroe Landing Plaza in La Porte, Indiana, we’re helping transform existing parking and part of a street into a flexible community space designed for everyday use and events. The goal is to unlock new value by aligning the space with how people actually live, gather, and connect.

This approach reframes constraints as opportunities. Budget limitations, site challenges, and existing conditions are not barriers; they are design drivers that push teams toward more creative, efficient, and ultimately more authentic solutions.

Ogden Plaza Park, City of Chicago

Designing for flexibility, everyday use, and human experience

A key characteristic of successful reimagined urban spaces is flexibility, both in design and in how people experience and define the space over time.

The Exchange in Fort Collins is a clear example of this shift. What began as a deteriorating parking lot and city block evolved into a vibrant, container-based destination that supports a wide range of uses throughout the day and across seasons.

As RVi’s Paul Mills, Regional Vice President and Principal on this project explains, “We were not trying to program every space to be something—we let it be open and let people choose their adventure.”

That philosophy reflects a broader trend in urban design. Civic open spaces are being designed to accommodate variability—movable seating, open lawns, layered gathering areas, and edges that support both activity and pause. These elements allow people to shape their own experience, whether that’s a family gathering, a casual lunch, or a community event.

Baldin reinforces this idea from an urban design perspective, “The goal isn’t to control how a space is used—it’s to create the conditions for it to be used in many different ways, over time.”

This balance between structure and openness is critical. At Logan Square Plaza in Chicago, for example, layered seating, improved pedestrian connections, and flexible open areas were designed to support both daily use and small-scale gatherings, creating a space that feels active without being overdesigned.

Ultimately, we know that flexibility ensures longevity and improves performance. Spaces that can evolve alongside community needs are more resilient, more inclusive, and more likely to remain relevant over time. They also attract foot traffic, support local businesses, and increase the overall value of the surrounding area.

Designing space for flexibility is not just a design decision. It is a strategic one.

The Exchange, Fort Collins, CO

Identity through contrast, adaptation, and storytelling

We believe that reimagined urban spaces should be expressive, not just functional. They create identity, often by embracing contrast and leaning into what makes a place unique.

This idea of contrast as a design tool is becoming more prevalent. It allows projects to acknowledge their context while also signaling something new, something contemporary, dynamic, and forward-looking.

At The Exchange, that identity is shaped through adaptive reuse. Repurposed shipping containers form the edges of the site, creating intimate, people-oriented environments while framing a more open central green. Rather than blending into the historic red-brick context of Old Town Fort Collins, the project intentionally stands apart.

As Mills noted, “It’s intentionally contrasting… a surprising element.”

Baldin sees contrast and placemaking as part of a larger storytelling approach: “Placemaking is storytelling on a grand scale. Every design decision contributes to how people understand and connect with a place.”

Public art, materiality, planting, and spatial organization all play a role in shaping that story. Whether it’s restoring visibility and safety to an underperforming plaza or introducing new layers of programming and identity, the goal remains the same: create spaces that feel authentic to their community while offering something unexpected.

Reimagined spaces can shift how those in-between places work and what they become over time.

City of Fort Collins alleyway enhancements

A new way forward: Reimagining what’s already there

Looking at overlooked or underperforming urban spaces in a new way reflects a broader change in how cities evolve, respond to new needs, and think about the role of public space.

We believe that “leftover spaces” are opportunities to create connections, support local economies, and enhance everyday life. Through a combination of thoughtful design, community engagement, and a willingness to embrace constraints, these sites are being transformed into places with purpose and staying power.

As Baldin puts it, “When you approach a project with curiosity instead of assumption, you open the door to solutions that are more creative, and more meaningful.”

From Chicago to Fort Collins and in other regions of the country, the takeaway is clear: the future of urban design is about seeing what’s already there and reimagining it into something better.