City Place

Vision & Planning

Building a beautiful place takes planning and design. Setting the stage for how that place will come alive and thrive takes authenticity, big ideas, and purpose.  

City Place is situated about an hour north of Houston, Texas, just far enough for a breather from 

the hustle, but still close enough to embrace the energy and creativity of one of the most diverse cities in the US. City Place is a “city in the garden” where the best of urban living is mixed with equal parts innovation, culture, sustainability, and natural beauty.

In 2020, we jumped on board with renowned place maker and residential developer, DMB Development, to help bring to life the budding residential side of City Place, alongside its already thriving commercial core. 

“We may not be architects or land planners, but we’re the ‘people’ people. We bring to the table the resident voice long before residents arrive,” says Todd Hornback, Cohere Chief Advancement Officer. 

Along with our 20-plus years of working with top-notch developers from around the country, we bring the people perspective. We look at the land plans and we visualize the way people will live and play. From 50,000-foot big picture planning to zeroing in on specific amenities, we’re able to set the foundation for community life and cultivate a place that drives value and is built to last. 

At the heart of planning and visioning is authenticity. It’s understanding the land, its heritage, and the culture of the place. It’s looking at how people are living their lives there today, and it’s asking how we can leverage what already exists. 

We help set the stage for a community design that brings people together where neighbors can connect organically and intentionally. And we make sure the amenities are activated from day one. 

“We say, ‘let’s have an amazing place, but let’s also have it be a space people are going to love to use,’” says Todd. 

And while we’re full of big ideas, we’re also grounded in the reality of what works, and what doesn’t. Our experience and expertise let us think outside the box, while staying mindful of budget and return on investment. We know a community that inspires people to live fuller, more enriched lives is a place that’s sought after and highly valued. It’s a place where people want to invest and put down roots. 

At City Place, we found inspiration from the natural spring swimming holes that are a way of life in Texas. We thought beyond the standard swimming pool and supported the vision of an amenity that would look and feel like a bona fide, Texas-style swimming hole. We saw the space to incorporate a fountain that would serve as the well spring from which the swimming hole would emanate, launching a “well spring” of ideas and aspirations for all other aspects of the community. 

As we collaborate with developers, we look at the amenities from every angle, even down to the square inch. In City Place, it’s looking at how residents will best enter and exit the swimming hole. It’s thinking about how the amenity can be activated in the evening hours and where a power source is needed for lighting. In the cooler months when residents won’t be in the water, it’s planning to activate the space with unique, unexpected opportunities like a floating obstacle course or live music on the water. 

“It’s more than just presenting ideas. It’s guiding the way the built environment is planned so that it can be activated for resident use,” says Todd.  

We’ve also envisioned how to activate City Place’s network of parks, gardens, and tree-lined trails. We thought beyond the typical trail, and imagined sky bridges, tree houses (for young and old) that could not only be places to play, but also cool spaces to hold board meetings or conference calls.  

When current and prospective residents arrive at City Place, what’s the initial experience like? We helped the developer envision a mashup of public and private spaces where someone looking to buy a home might bump into a happy resident who just spent the day at the swimming hole. They may even strike up a conversation over a latte from an onsite coffee shop. These are the plans we will continue to cultivate as the built environment comes to fruition.

At Cohere, we take great care in crafting and fulfilling the vision of a community at every stage of development, whether we’re there from day one, jump in mid-way through, or get to celebrate the vision coming to life. And our measure of success?  A place where people’s lives are enriched through authentic connections, shared experiences, and collective purpose.