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It’s no longer sufficient to simply have a place to live—homeowners want a real sense of community, especially after the isolation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. A desire to connect with others is one of the driving forces behind master-planned communities’ surging popularity.
What Is a Master-Planned Community?
A master-planned community, or MPC, is a residential development that is carefully designed for convenient living and connectedness among neighbors. These communities offer homeowners numerous amenities—far more than you’ll find in a typical neighborhood. While the first planned communities were largely cookie-cutter developments built around golf courses or lakes, MPCs are now frequently designed to accommodate specific lifestyles.
Some of the hallmarks of modern MPCs include:
- Thoughtful design to minimize through traffic
- Highly walkable layouts
- Plenty of green space
- Wide array of amenities
- A strong sense of community among residents
Master-planned communities are great when you’re looking for a place to not only live, but to truly belong.
Master-Planned Community Vs. Neighborhood
According to data from 2017, about 52% of US households describe their neighborhood as suburban. However, a traditional suburban neighborhood isn’t the same as a planned community.
Living in Traditional Neighborhoods
Traditional neighborhoods are subdivisions that contain houses. Any businesses or amenities that arrive usually do so after the neighborhood has been established, which means the resulting layout ends up being a bit random.
In a regular neighborhood, your obligations typically extend only to your own home. The community as a whole isn’t necessarily anyone’s responsibility, making it a bit disjointed.
Living in a Master-Planned Community
On the other hand, a master-planned community is carefully designed ahead of time. Amenities, shops, scenic areas, and the like are all planned into the initial design, all with the end goal of creating a convenient and cohesive living experience.
It doesn’t stop at convenience, though. Community events, premium amenities, and communal spaces characterize most MPCs, offering many opportunities to share experiences, connect with your neighbors, and develop long-lasting friendships.
At Hillwood Communities, we design each of our neighborhoods to accommodate our residents’ interests and lifestyles. For example, Harvest by Hillwood in Argyle/Northlake, TX is an agrihood perfect for those who desire to live a farm-to-table lifestyle, have their own garden plot, and work in the community garden. Union Park by Hillwood in Little Elm, TX with a Fitness Park, Exploration Park, Bark Park, Food Truck Park, multiple pools, and miles of walking trails, is designed with those who prioritize the outdoors and physical activity.
Why Live in a Master-Planned Community?
Why live in one of our master-planned communities? Below are just a few of the features that set our communities apart.
Award-Winning Lifestyle Programs
Are you into gardening? Crafting? Wine-tasting? Our award-winning lifestyle programs at Hillwood’s Live Smart communities offer more than 300 events for homeowners to participate in and get to know each other. These events include educational workshops, kids events, movie nights, concerts, teen events, community-wide parties, game nights, and much more.
Small-Town Living with City Conveniences
Our communities are located outside of the big city center, but are still within easy driving distance of downtown. Residents can enjoy the charms of small-town living without sacrificing the conveniences of the city.
Fabulous Amenities
Our master-planned communities contain fantastic amenities for homeowners to enjoy. Some of the amenities and common areas we offer include
- Fitness centers
- Swimming pools
- Catch-and-release fishing ponds
- Hiking trails
- Community gardens and farms
- Sports Courts
- Outdoor Kitchens
- Game Rooms
- Co-Working Spaces
- Dog Parks
- Food Truck Parks
- Splash Pads
- Event Venues
- Outdoor workout facilities
- Coffee Shops
- Playgrounds
- Sports Fields
With such a wide range of amenities, you’ll never run out of fun things to do!
Commitment to Quality Education
Hillwood is committed to providing quality education for families in our neighborhoods. That’s why we locate our masterplans within desirable school districts. We also work with the districts to build elementary schools within the boundaries of the community itself, to maximize convenience and community involvement.
Beautiful Developments for Active Seniors
Our communities contain homes to suit virtually every budget and stage of life. Our Union Park by Hillwood community even has a Del Webb active adult section designed for residents aged 55 and up. This neighborhood has special amenities built just for active adults to enjoy and the homes have future-proof features that make it easy for residents to age in place.
Find the Hillwood Community for You
At Hillwood Communities, we are committed to fostering a true sense of community in each of our masterplans. To learn more, take a look at our communities or contact us today.
