Every October, the American Planning Association (APA) designates National Community Planning Month as a time to celebrate the people, spaces, and culture that shape the places we call home. Community Planning touches every aspect of daily life, from how we move through our neighborhoods, play in our parks, and feel in the public spaces that are provided. At its heart, Planning is about building resilient, equitable, and thriving communities.
[Video]
National Community Planning Month highlights how thoughtful planning improves quality of life. It recognizes the role of planners in protecting resources, guiding growth, enhancing mobility, and creating spaces that connect people. Good planning doesn’t just happen. It’s a continuous effort that results from successful collaboration, commitment, and creativity.
Our Planning team plays an essential role in shaping projects that balance community goals and needs with technical expertise. From the earliest stages of high-level feasibility studies and master plans to the nitty-gritty details of parks and open space design, lot layouts, and mobility planning, our planners help communities thrive in a thoughtful and sustainable way.
Some of the ways our planners contribute include:
- Guiding Development: Preparing long-range master plans, subdivision ordinances, and design standards that set a framework for long-term success.
- Designing Great Places: Creating parks, trails, and open spaces that enhance health, wellness, and recreation.
- Strengthening Communities: Partnering with municipalities and private developers to envision projects that balance growth, equity, and environmental stewardship.
At LJA, we see firsthand how effective planning drives equitable growth by ensuring housing, services, and amenities are accessible to all. By planning for stormwater and environmental conservation we help build resilience, while guiding development that strengthens local tax bases and supports thriving business districts. Every project is an opportunity to help communities grow stronger while preparing for the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow.
Recent highlights of our work showcase our belief that planning is strongest when it is collaborative, people-focused, and grounded in both vision and practicality:
The West Side Master Plan in Leage City, Texas adopted in May 2025, which provides a framework for balanced growth, coordinated infrastructure, and a resilient future for one of the region’s fastest-growing areas.
Bridgeland is a premier master planned community in the Houston, Texas, where our team has helped shape vibrant neighborhoods, parks, and open spaces that define high-quality living.
Solterra is in the Dallas–Fort Worth region, where thoughtful planning and design are creating a dynamic, connected community with a strong sense of place.
Each of these projects reflects our belief that planning is strongest when it is collaborative, people-focused, and rooted in both vision and practicality.
At LJA, National Community Planning Month is more than a moment. It reflects the work we strive to accomplish every day. Together with our partners and communities, we are building better futures one plan at a time because we believe Planning is strongest when it is collaborative, people-focused, and rooted in both vision and practicality.
