What Lionheart Places does

Lionheart Places LLC is a women-owned, Austin-headquartered professional services firm providing urban design, land planning, landscape architecture, policy planning, entitlements, and implementation services to public sector, institutional, and private developer clients. Founded in 2016 by CEO Rebecca Leonard — a Fellow of both the American Institute of Certified Planners and the American Society of Landscape Architects — the firm operates as an LLC of seven owners who are certified planners and licensed landscape architects with decades of national experience. The firm is women-owned and self-styled as women-led, with no identified institutional or private equity investors. Project work spans pocket parks to comprehensive city vision plans, with a portfolio attributed to the firm representing more than $100 million in public and private investment, and award recognition from ULI, APA, ASLA, the Landscape Architecture Foundation, SITES, and Greenroads.

Revenue is generated through project-based, quote-driven professional services engagements. There are no standardized pricing tiers publicly disclosed, and revenue figures are not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market is direct, relationship-based enterprise field sales: the firm engages government agencies, institutions, and large developers without intermediaries, marketing primarily through its portfolio website, industry awards, professional networking/referrals, and events. In March 2025, Lionheart merged with Studio Balcones and Connect One Design under the Lionheart banner, expanding its regional footprint beyond Central Texas into Western Colorado and adding offices in Austin, Houston, Basalt, and Denver. Customers include the City of Austin (I-35 Cap and Stitch Vision Plan), City of Kyle (La Verde Park, Plum Creek TIRZ), City of Houston, City of Taylor (Envision Taylor), Midtown Redevelopment Authority, Brandywine Realty Trust (Uptown ATX), James Avery Artisan Jewelry (corporate campus), Barshop and Oles Company (Brodie Oaks Redevelopment), Martin Marietta and MG Realty (Austin Green), and GroundWork (East Austin Planned Community). Lionheart uses the Konveio digital platform for community engagement but does not employ AI/ML in its core service delivery.

Name

Lionheart Places

Legal name

Lionheart Places LLC

Website

https://lionheartplaces.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Lionheart Places is a women-owned, Austin-based planning, urban design, and landscape architecture firm serving public agencies, institutions, and private developers across Texas and Colorado, with a portfolio exceeding $100 million in investment.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning Services

NAICS

Landscape Architectural Services (54132), Architectural Services (54131)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Engagement & Participatory Planning (BPAHAKAO)

Keywords

• Urban design services
• Landscape architecture
• Land planning
• Master planning
• Entitlements consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Professional Services - Planning and Design: Revenue is generated through professional services engagements including urban design, landscape architecture, land planning, policy planning, entitlements, and implementation services for private, institutional, and public sector clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Lionheart Places is a women-owned planning, urban design, and landscape architecture practice that delivers professional services for private, institutional, and public sector clients. The firm provides comprehensive project delivery ranging from pocket parks to vision plans for entire cities, with a portfolio representing more than $100 million in public and private investment. Services encompass urban design, landscape architecture, planning, policy planning, land planning, entitlements, public space design, and implementation from concept through construction.

Product overview

Lionheart Places is an award-winning, women-owned planning, urban design, and landscape architecture practice offering a comprehensive suite of services for private, institutional, and public sector clients. The firm operates across multiple service lines including Urban Design, Landscape Architecture, Planning, Implementation, Policy Planning, Land Planning, Public Space Design, Commercial Landscape Design, Residential Garden Design, Entitlements, and Operations and Maintenance Strategy. Projects range from pocket parks to vision plans for entire cities, with portfolio representing more than $100 million in public and private investment. In March 2025, Lionheart merged with Studio Balcones and Connect One Design under the Lionheart banner, expanding regional impact beyond Central Texas and Western Colorado.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Urban Design Urban design service creating development from scratch that is authentic, lively, contextual, and sustainable, championing interconnectedness of systems like mobility, open space, transit, and infrastructure for private, institutional, and public sector clients.
• Landscape Architecture Award-winning landscape architecture service producing master plans, parks, and public spaces that connect people to nature and each other through practical solutions and innovations for memorable, functional, and adaptable environments.
• Planning Planning service that navigates complex, interconnected needs of changing places and communities by building shared vision and establishing implementation frameworks, engaging community members in collaborative processes rooted in transparency and accountability.
• Implementation Implementation service that transitions projects from rendering to reality through entitlements negotiation, operations and maintenance plans, public-private partnership facilitation, and construction observation.
• Policy Planning Strategic planning service involving policy development, stakeholder engagement, and consensus building for urban development and housing initiatives.
• Land Planning Land planning service providing land suitability analysis and comprehensive land planning for mixed-use master plans, creating compact, walkable neighborhoods.
• Public Space Design Design of parks, plazas, and public gathering spaces that foster community interaction and environmental sustainability.
• Commercial Landscape Design Landscape architecture service for commercial properties including corporate campuses, technology centers, and retail environments.
• Residential Garden Design Custom residential landscape design harmonizing modern aesthetics with family-centric and inviting outdoor spaces.
• Entitlements Service navigating complex regulatory processes including rezoning, Planned Unit Development approvals, and city entitlements for development projects.
• Operations and Maintenance Strategy Proforma development for anticipated park maintenance and comprehensive operations planning for metropolitan districts.

Named customers11 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• ArupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLionheart served as a subconsultant on the multidisciplinary team led by Arup for the I-35 Cap and Stitch Vision Plan project for the City of Austin. The team provided civil and structural engineering, urban planning, landscape architecture, architecture, economic planning, and community engagement consulting services.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Civitas: Urban design, planning, and landscape architecture firm headquartered in Denver. Directly competes with Lionheart's Colorado operations on mountain-town planning, resort districts, and regional public-sector engagements.
• James Corner Field Operations: High-profile landscape architecture and urban design firm known for signature public parks and waterfront projects. Directly competes for high-visibility public realm commissions similar to Lionheart's La Verde Park and I-35 Cap work.
• SWA Group: National landscape architecture, urban design, and planning firm with a strong Texas presence. Directly competes with Lionheart on master-planned communities, parks, and waterfront/urban regeneration projects, but operates at significantly larger scale.
• OLIN: Philadelphia-headquartered landscape architecture and urban design practice with offices nationwide. Directly competes on urban design, public space, and master-planning commissions and shares Lionheart's emphasis on design excellence and award-winning work.
• Sasaki: International planning, urban design, and landscape architecture practice with a strong master-planning portfolio. Overlaps with Lionheart on campus, district, and city-scale planning engagements, but competes from a much larger platform.
• Reed Hilderbrand: Landscape architecture firm specializing in master planning, campuses, and public landscapes. Comparable in scale, design-driven positioning, and award profile to Lionheart's boutique practice.
• OJB Landscape Architecture: Texas-based (Dallas) landscape architecture practice with national reach. Directly competes on Texas public space, park, and campus projects where Lionheart is also active.
• Wallace Roberts & Todd (WRT): Planning, urban design, and landscape architecture firm with deep public-sector planning credentials. Competes with Lionheart on comprehensive plans, transit-oriented development, and city vision plans.
• Design Workshop: Landscape architecture, planning, and urban design firm founded in Aspen, Colorado. Directly overlaps with Lionheart's Western Colorado operations and competes on mountain-town and resort-community planning, parks, and resort master plans.

Broad incumbents

• MIG: Larger planning, design, and communications firm offering landscape architecture, urban design, and community engagement services. Broader portfolio (including communications and engagement tech) but overlaps with Lionheart on comprehensive plans and public-sector visioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/lionheartplaces
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lionheart-places-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lionheart Places