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Lionheart Lionheart: Courage to Create the Places We Love. Courage to Create the Places We Love.

Attending the Texas Chapter's American Planning Association's State Planning Conference this week? Make sure to see Lion...
10/13/2026

Attending the Texas Chapter's American Planning Association's State Planning Conference this week? Make sure to see Lionheart Principal Abby Gillfillan's panel discussion - A Texas Toolkit: Designing Voluntary Development Programs That Work

October 14, 2026
3:30 PM-4:30 PMCT
Meeting Room 7

Voluntary developer incentive programs like density bonuses, transfer of development rights, and pattern zones trade additional entitlements, streamlined processes and fee waivers for public benefits. These programs are gaining renewed attention across Texas as communities look for ways to encourage housing production and other policy outcomes without imposing more mandates. But a program only works if developers actually opt-in to using them. This session focuses on the best practices and considerations for designing voluntary programs that are usable in practice, not just on paper.
Panelists will explore what separates a program that gets used from one that sits on the shelf: how to calibrate incentives so the math works for developers, how to structure entitlements so they deliver real public benefit, and how to anticipate the political and administrative hurdles that can undermine implementation.
Luke Foelsch (EPS) will unpack the market and proforma realities that determine whether an incentive is generous enough to move the needle, drawing on his work evaluating development economics across the country. Annie Flom (City of Austin) will share lessons from Austin's recent exploration of a transfer of development rights program designed to support historic preservation. Abby Gillfillan (Lionheart Places) will connect these local design choices to the broader housing policy landscape, including emerging state and federal legislation aimed at encouraging housing production such as Texas’s SB840 and the recently adopted 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act.
Attendees will leave with a practical framework for designing, calibrating, and defending voluntary developer programs and for making the case to elected officials, staff, and the development community that a well-designed incentive program can be a powerful tool for achieving policy outcomes.

Panelists:
Luke Foelsch, Vice President: Economic and Planning Systems, Inc.
Abby Gillfillan, Principal: Lionheart Places

Attending the Texas Chapter's American Planning Association's State Planning Conference this week? Make sure to see Lion...
10/13/2026

Attending the Texas Chapter's American Planning Association's State Planning Conference this week? Make sure to see Lionheart's very own Mandi Chapa and David Copeland Loredo for a panel discussion - Beyond ADA: Disability-Inclusive Parks, Trails, and Playgrounds

October 14, 2026
2:15 PM-3:15 PMCT
Meeting Room 4

Outdoor spaces should be welcoming. But what does "welcoming" look like? It’s more than meeting minimum standards. It’s understanding how people experience parks differently across language, culture, age, race, gender, and ability. For someone using a wheelchair, it may be a smoother surface. For someone who is blind, it may be better wayfinding. For someone with sensory sensitivities, it may be a quieter place to pause. For a caregiver, it may be a restroom that's close to reach in time. For a child with a disability, it may simply be the opportunity to play at the park. This session shares the development of the Disability-Inclusive Parks, Trails, and Playgrounds Best Practices Guide (DI Guide), a practical resource designed through a collaborative process that included Houston Parks Board staff, planners, municipal agencies, healthcare professionals, disability advocates, and people with disabilities, and the practical tools it provides. Through research, one-on-one stakeholder interviews, focus groups and multidisciplinary workshops, the project brought together lived experience, technical expertise, and operational and maintenance knowledge to develop practical planning guidance for inclusive outdoor spaces. Using examples from the DI Guide, including recommendations for accessible surface materials, parking, distances between major amenities, wayfinding, maintenance, and implementation, the diverse panel will share how their unique knowledge from planning, park leadership, municipal implementation, healthcare and support, and lived experience strengthened and shaped the final recommendations. Developed for the Houston region, the guide was intentionally designed as a living resource that can be adapted by communities across the United States. Participants will leave with tools, lessons learned, and a collaborative approach for creating parks, trails, playgrounds, and outdoor spaces that are not only accessible, but truly inclusive, welcoming, and fun.

Panelists:
Armandina Chapa, Principal Planner: Lionheart Places
David Copeland Loredo, Designer and Project Manager: Lionheart Places
Peggy Turner, Athletics Community Liaison and Adapted Sports Coordinator: TIRR Memorial Hermann
Lisa Graiff, Sr Capital Projects Manager: Houston Parks Board

Happy Spotlight Sunday! Today we’re welcoming Neel to the Lionheart team! 👋Originally from Mumbai, India, Neel joined us...
10/11/2026

Happy Spotlight Sunday! Today we’re welcoming Neel to the Lionheart team! 👋
Originally from Mumbai, India, Neel joined us in August as a Project Administrator. With a background in computer engineering, international business, project management, and product work, he’s spent his career keeping teams, schedules, and details moving behind the scenes—and we’re excited to have him bringing that experience to Lionheart!
After living in 11 cities across 6 years, Neel and his wife, Arianna, are settling into Austin with their three pets: Ace, Chai, and Kuma. Outside of work, you’ll find him traveling, watching anime and movies, and exploring his new city. 🌎🐾
Welcome to the team, Neel! We’re so glad to have you!

We had such great time hosting folks from our Denver and Austin studios to tour Lionheart projects here in the Roaring F...
10/10/2026

We had such great time hosting folks from our Denver and Austin studios to tour Lionheart projects here in the Roaring Fork Valley! From new construction to completed, mature landscapes and built work, we covered it all on a beautiful Fall day in Aspen! 🌳🍂

Happy Sunday! Today we’re spotlighting one of our newest team members, Khushi, our Office Coordinator! 😍Originally from ...
10/04/2026

Happy Sunday! Today we’re spotlighting one of our newest team members, Khushi, our Office Coordinator! 😍

Originally from a small town in the Corpus Christi area, Khushi joined the Lionheart team after graduating from Texas A&M University in 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Development and a minor in Business Administration. She’s currently continuing her education at Texas A&M as a master’s candidate in Human Resource Management. Khushi found her way into HR through a family member who introduced her to the industry, and quickly realized it was a natural fit for her passion for connecting with people, being a helping hand, and making a positive impact. We’re excited to have her bring that people-first perspective to Lionheart and love seeing all that she brings to the team!

Outside of the office, Khushi enjoys long walks and hot workout classes, trying new food spots, thrifting, and baking. She’s also the only left-handed person in her family, personally knows someone who was on a Netflix show, and makes a mean banana bread. 🍌🍞 Welcome to the team, Khushi! We’re so happy to have you here and can’t wait to see what’s ahead!

Late to the game, but better late than never!We love having a small hand in helping to shape environments and communitie...
10/01/2026

Late to the game, but better late than never!
We love having a small hand in helping to shape environments and communities. What's your favorite way to contribute to yours?

Happy Sunday! Today we’re spotlighting one of our newest team members, Adie, our Marketing Coordinator in the Austin off...
09/27/2026

Happy Sunday! Today we’re spotlighting one of our newest team members, Adie, our Marketing Coordinator in the Austin office! 🤩

Originally from Nashville, Tennessee, Adie recently graduated from St. Edward’s University, where she studied Graphic Design with a minor in Spanish. While studying graphic design, she developed a particular love for book layout and design—and now gets to put that passion to work creating proposals every day at Lionheart! Her senior thesis explored maps as a form of misinformation and the ethics of cartography, and her final design exhibit was a series of books featuring covers and layouts inspired by photographs she took both at home and while studying abroad in Sevilla, Spain. Before joining Lionheart, Adie worked as a nanny, helped run retreats for her campus ministry, and spent six summers at H.E. Butt Foundation Camps running sound and AV. We’re so excited to have her creative perspective and design background on the team!

Outside of the office, Adie loves traveling, going to concerts and playing music, spending time at her grandparents’ ranch with their dogs, making linocut prints, trying new gluten-free food spots (recommendations are always welcome!), attending Nashville SC games, and photography. 📸

A few fun facts about Adie: some of the recent photos of Blue Hole Park and Roger Lavon Taylor Sr. you may have seen on our Instagram were taken by her! She was also in Morocco during the filming of The Odyssey and got to see the Trojan horse with her own two eyes. 🐴 And, most recently, her brother got married this past weekend! 💍 Welcome to the team, Adie! We’re so happy to have you here and can’t wait to see what’s ahead!

A little more taking shape at East Mall. 🪨As construction continues, these pieces of Texas pink granite are finding thei...
09/24/2026

A little more taking shape at East Mall. 🪨

As construction continues, these pieces of Texas pink granite are finding their place in the landscape. Sourced from the same granite quarry northwest of Austin that supplied the stone for the Texas State Capitol, these remnants carry a history of their own — including the labor of the African Americans who helped build the Capitol.

For a memorial honoring the first African American students to graduate from UT, using this distinctly Texas material felt especially fitting. You can even see the original drill marks left from cutting the stone from the granite dome.

More to come as East Mall progresses!

Today we're spotlighting Mandi Chapa, Principal Planner at Lionheart Places and co-author of the newly released Transpor...
09/22/2026

Today we're spotlighting Mandi Chapa, Principal Planner at Lionheart Places and co-author of the newly released Transportation and the Shape of Cities! 📚🚌🚶‍♀️⁠
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Born in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, and raised in the Houston region, Mandi has been practicing architecture and planning since 2005. Her path into architecture started with a high school aptitude test, where architecture landed at the top of the list—maybe because it starts with an “A,” she jokes. With a dad who worked in construction, she knew it was the right fit.⁠
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Over time, Mandi became just as interested in what happens between the buildings: how people move through a place, how communities connect, and how transportation shapes the way we experience cities. That interest led her to begin teaching Urban Transportation at Rice University in 2015 alongside Christof Spieler, eventually inspiring Transportation and the Shape of Cities, which she co-authored with Christof and Lionheart's David Copeland-Loredo.⁠
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Her connection to transportation is personal, too. Growing up, Mandi spent summers with her grandparents near Monterrey, Mexico, where trips into the city meant taking the bus. She was convinced the driver was always falling asleep and would beg her grandmother to get off at the next stop and walk the rest of the way. These days, walking is still her favorite way to get around. 🚶‍♀️⁠
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Outside of teaching and planning, Mandi has been part of the Lionheart family for years, first meeting Rebecca Leonard while working on the Midtown Livable Centers Study 17 years ago. We're excited to celebrate Mandi and the release of a book that brings together so many of the ideas she cares about: how transportation shapes our cities, our communities, and the way we experience them. 📖

Today we're spotlighting David Copeland Loredo, co-author of the newly released Transportation and the Shape of Cities! ...
09/19/2026

Today we're spotlighting David Copeland Loredo, co-author of the newly released Transportation and the Shape of Cities! 📚🚶‍♂️🚇

Born and raised in Houston (H-Town till he drowns), David came to urban planning through an educational foundation in architecture. After nearly a decade in the profession, he shifted his focus from architecture to urban planning because of the greater impact it can have on people and the environment. His work centers on creating places and systems that are legible, accessible, enjoyable, and able to grow alongside the communities that use them.

Transportation is a big part of that work, and of David's everyday life. As a daily pedestrian and transit rider, he prefers experiencing the city at a human pace, whether he's walking through a neighborhood, hopping on a bus or train, or sharing space with neighbors along the way. These perspectives, paired with his expertise in planning, urban design, graphic storytelling, cartography, and visualization, led David to co-author Transportation and the Shape of Cities alongside Christof Spieler and Mandi Chapa.

Outside of work, David is a big soccer fan and loves taking transit to the stadium or pub to watch a match with friends. He's also, apparently, a really big deal in the Houston air hockey scene—having somehow become the champion of the Voodoo Queen Halloween Air Hockey Tournament despite being friends with players who are much better than him. 🏆👑

We're excited to celebrate David and the release of a book that brings together so many of the ideas he cares about: how transportation shapes our cities, our communities, and the way we experience them.

Address

1023 Springdale Road ; Suite 6-E
Austin, TX
78723

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+15125204488

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