Keystone Canyon Planned Unit Development
Guiding a mixed-use mountain community from concept through implementation with a flexible framework for growth, recreation, and open space.
Set within Reno’s mountain landscape, Keystone Canyon is a 101-acre mixed-use community that brings together residential neighborhoods, multifamily housing, neighborhood-serving commercial uses, recreation, and open space within a connected planning framework. Linked to the larger Keystone Canyon trail network, the community balances opportunities for development with access to the outdoors and the surrounding natural environment.
From the earliest concept through entitlement, site design, and implementation, the project team helped establish the vision for Keystone Canyon and the framework needed to carry it forward over time. The team translated the concept plan into a Planned Unit Development Handbook that established land use, circulation, open space, design, and development standards, then continued to guide individual projects through entitlement and implementation as the community evolved.
GOALS
Creating a cohesive mixed-use community that would develop over multiple phases required a plan that provided clear direction without limiting the ability to respond to changing market conditions and residential demand. The team’s goal was to establish an adaptable framework that could guide individual developments while maintaining the larger vision and identity of Keystone Canyon.
The planning approach organized a mix of residential and multifamily neighborhoods with neighborhood-serving commercial uses, trail connections, and extensive open space. Particular attention was given to connecting development with the surrounding mountain landscape and Keystone Canyon trail network, making recreation and access to nature integral parts of the community rather than separate amenities.
To carry that vision through implementation, the team developed the Keystone Canyon Planned Unit Development Handbook, establishing standards for land use, circulation, open space, design, and future development. The framework provided consistency across the PUD while allowing individual sites to respond to evolving needs over time.
OUTCOMES
As individual developments moved forward, the team remained involved through planning, entitlement, site design, and implementation, applying the community-wide framework at the site level while maintaining the flexibility needed for each project. This continuity helped translate the original planning vision into built places that contribute to a cohesive community as Keystone Canyon continues to grow.
Connected open spaces and trails reinforce relationships between neighborhoods, recreation, commercial services, and the surrounding landscape. Sustainable building practices, water-efficient landscapes, and responsible site design further support long-term stewardship while establishing a consistent character across the PUD.
Keystone Canyon demonstrates how a strong planning framework can guide growth without prescribing a single outcome. By carrying the vision from concept planning and PUD standards through individual entitlements and implementation, the team created a flexible foundation that allows the community to evolve while preserving the connections, open spaces, and design principles established from the beginning.
Photography courtesy of Stonehaven Construction & Development
