The Howard Hughes Corporation (HHC) strategically builds for future generations, skillfully leveraging decades of expert master planning and environmentally conscious development and operations to drive our next decade of sustainable growth. As generational stewards of the new cities and communities where people and businesses choose to locate, we collaborate with key stakeholders, civic leaders and industry innovators to help create the solutions facing our country and get the big jobs done.

With our master planned communities (MPCs) spanning approximately 118,000 gross acres—perhaps the largest such portfolio in the country—we acknowledge the power of our scale, as well as the opportunities for taking climate action. Remaining flexible, nimble and forward-thinking, we work to amplify and accelerate our efforts to advance resilience, conservation and sustainability throughout our large-scale, mixed-use communities.

Preserving natural resources is a key tenet of our strategy; not only do we aim to protect outdoor spaces for the enjoyment of community members, but we also want to responsibly steward the land we occupy as we build our country’s new vibrant urban hubs.

Several community members do outdoor yoga.

Photo courtesy of The Howard Hughes Corporation.

The importance of green space

Our planning and development efforts emphasize amenities for residents in landscaped and natural settings, such as parks, trails and protected environmental areas. Access to nature is the most sought-after amenity among home buyers. To date, HHC has 14,294.5 acres of designed, dedicated and protected green space, or 20% of our developed portfolio.

Propelling portfoliowide strategies while preserving open green space in each of our MPCs allows us to create greater value for our residents and tenants while protecting biodiversity, conserving natural resources and affirming our commitment to efficiency. Several open and public spaces are activated throughout the year with yoga classes, arts festivals, musical performances, holiday parades and many more authentic events, bringing the master planned community to life.

Below are a few examples of the nature-based approach in our MPCs, strengthening our short- and long-term sustainable, inclusive and transparent impacts. (Additional information is available in our annual HHCommunities Report.)

The Woodlands

In our master planned communities in Texas, each home is within a quarter mile of one of the community’s 271 parks. The Woodlands, a 28,500-acre, award-winning master planned community located 27 miles north of downtown Houston, is a “Run Friendly/Bike Friendly Community” with more than 160 miles of pathways and trails linking the villages in The Woodlands. Additionally, The Woodlands was named a Monarch Champion by the National Wildlife Federation for its commitment to the endangered butterfly. The Woodlands is also the world’s largest master planned community to achieve precertification under LEED for Communities.

An aerial view of a crowd attending an outdoor concert next to a body of water.

Photo courtesy of The Howard Hughes Corporation.

Ward Village

In Hawaii, our Ward Village master planned community features ‘ohana planting—a multispecies agroforestry planting system based on the traditional Pacific Island practice of placing street trees in plant families, or ‘ohana groupings. This vernacular strategy provides lush visual and experiential interest in the LEED Platinum neighborhood development. Philanthropic efforts in Ward Village also supplement biodiversity goals. Ward Village donated $10,000 to Trees for Honolulu’s Future, contributing to the work under way with the organization’s goal for Honolulu to achieve 35% tree canopy coverage by 2035.

Children play with kites on a large green park space.

Photo courtesy of The Howard Hughes Corporation.

Columbia

In Maryland, our master planned community of Downtown Columbia committed to planting 10,000 trees in 20 years within Howard County, starting in 2017. In only the sixth year of the program, we have planted nearly 40% of the trees to meet the 2037 goal. Additionally, to create awareness and education around biodiversity, HHC sponsored pollinator gardens at schools, designed bird-friendly buildings and offers tours in its LEED Certified neighborhood development of Merriweather District.

An aerial view of a large planned community on the waterfront.

Photo courtesy of The Howard Hughes Corporation.

Summerlin

Within HHC’s Las Vegas-area master planned community of Summerlin, nearly 200 miles of reserved green space has been dedicated, with multiple access points to hiking and biking trails with breathtaking views of Red Rock Canyon.

Summerlin began incorporating desert landscape in the late 1990s and was one of Las Vegas valley’s earliest adopters of the concept. Furthermore, in 2003 and in partnership with Southern Nevada Water Authority, Summerlin became one of the earliest communities in the area to implement strict Water Smart conservation guidelines on a communitywide basis. HHC is also currently working with the appropriate parties to create an interpretive trail system that will tell the story of our valley’s original residents, the Las Vegas Paiute tribe, preserving their legacy for many decades to come.

A large group of cyclists on a city street.

Photo courtesy of The Howard Hughes Corporation.

A vision for a greener future

Intentional investing in open and green space is a core strategy in the design of our MPCs. Thoughtfully designed spaces with year-round programming have resulted in an impactful social infrastructure with multiple benefits. These include climate resiliency, economic development and an inclusive vibrant community.

“As we shape our cities of tomorrow and deliver the new urban experiences that people and businesses are seeking today, we are designing communities with urban amenities and intelligent infrastructure integrated into expansive open settings, with convenient access to major metropolitan cities,” says Jay Cross, president of The Howard Hughes Corporation. “The Howard Hughes Corporation is defined by our steadfast commitment to the master planned communities we develop and operate.”

Designing with nature: A master planned community developer’s view