Modern land development was the hot topic of West Houston Association’s Quality Planned Development Symposium’s final panel of 2025. With an emphasis on density within a community, panelists were challenged with the thought of how to incorporate both density and innovation as we move forward in continuing to build communities for a wide variety of people.
Partaking in the discussion were Marlene Gafrick with the City of Houston, Todd Hamilton with the Signorelli Company and Ryan White with Highland Homes—Industry professionals of various roles, but all crucial to the fulfilment of master planned communities and modern land development. Feeding off of each other’s insights and experience, the group was able to quickly rebuttal and respond, making for a smooth, yet enlightening discussion.
Drawing on his 30+ years of planning experience, EHRA Engineering’s very own Chris Browne, LEED AP, Managing Director, had the opportunity to moderate this panel, fostering thought and transformation as communities continue to grow and our metroplex expands. Chris has been with EHRA for about 18 years and has been a member of the West Houston Association, serving on their QPD committee since its inception 12 years ago.
Throughout his career, Chris has seen numerous fads and norms come and go, but as the industry grows, so do the rules and regulations. When asked about this experience and the overall topic of density, Chris expressed that in the planning world you must learn to change with the rules, and through this, he has seen creativity within the boundaries flourish.
Communities must adapt to accommodate all new changes that the future brings. This is where density comes in, especially in the Greater Houston region where we do not have zoning. Density is crucial for creating a vibrant community, and that is what Chris and the panelists came together to discuss and bring awareness to.
The discussion was intended to highlight the benefits of density to the areas more resistant to the idea due to the fear of the unknown. Chris spoke about how the cities and communities being absorbed into the expanding Greater Houston metroplex are experiencing a level of growth and transformation unlike anything they've seen before. He, alongside the QPD committee and the panelists, made it a point to try and highlight the good in this sometimes-daunting word to ease the representatives of surrounding communities.
Chris and the QPD committee spent time carefully curating questions to guide the conversation and left the rest up to the panelists. When asked if there was anything he would’ve done differently or if anything he wished was covered during this session, Chris had no qualms about the flow or the way things went. He talked about how he likes to take a more relaxed antagonist approach in his moderation style, allowing the conversation to go where it wants to go. However, he believes in pushing panelists to keep going when they strike a golden point. In turn, his approach led to a smooth and seemingly positive discussion, shedding light on an almost forbidden word to those outside the area.
While Chris didn’t get to fully discuss his thoughts on density as the moderator, when asked about his perfect-world-scenario of a master planned community, it was all in support of density. As a Houston native, this is not a word he fears or is unfamiliar with; he embraces it! Chris is all about practicality and sustainability in addition to the visual appeal that comes with planning, which is what makes him so great at what he does.
In his perfect world, he’d love to see a master planned community that runs in a way that is comparable to a small, close-nit town. Somewhere that promotes walkability and community with a healthy mix of apartments, houses, coffee shops, restaurants, rec centers, work hubs and lots of greenery. Similarly, this rejuvenation of “density” is moving toward just that, if we learn to accept it.
We are lucky to have team members such as Chris Browne, LEED AP that are not only knowledgeable in their discipline, but take the time to learn and grow with the industry as well. Thank you, Chris, for representing EHRA Engineering, and thank you West Houston Association for the opportunity to showcase one of our talents here.
