The Howard Hughes Corporation (HHC) is the owner, developer, and
manager of commercial, residential, and mixed-use real estate across
the United States, including a portfolio of master -communities (MPCs).
HHC’s legacy is built on the stewardship and long-term success of its
communities though profound respect for nature, community, connectivity,
and passion for innovation. Preserving and enhancing biodiversity and
space for nature are a signature element within HHC’s community designs.
“Twenty-five percent of HHC’s MPCs across the nation are dedicated to
green space of different kinds,” said Gautami Palanki, senior vice president
of ESG strategy at the Howard Hughes Corporation. “It’s not just an urban
park, for example—we have parks, trails, educational opportunities within
the parks, pollinator gardens, safe habitats for monarch butterflies, and
other features that promote biodiversity.”

HHC’s guiding principle—how you live is how we build—is evident in all
aspects of planning and development, including plantings that are
regionally appropriate. In HHC’s Summerlin master-planned community
nestled against the Red Rock Canyon, the company has gone beyond
local restrictions for new construction by replacing older turf landscapes
with new, desert-friendly plants and features landscaping that is drought
tolerant. The company prioritizes tree planting on streetscapes in its Ward
Village master-planned community in Honolulu, Hawaii, as well as in
The Woodlands community in Texas where streets are lined with protected
forest preserves. Also in Texas is HHC’s Bridgeland master-planned
community, which includes a 140-acre lake and birding area that has become
a regional attraction while doubling as a stormwater management and
retention feature.

Open space is a multilayered ESG approach for the company: “Our
25 percent open space is a resilience approach in itself and creates a
base as environmental strategy. For new developments, we think to
expand on this strategy. It could be stormwater retention or a biodiversity
approach. It’s about cultivating life underwater and life on land,” Palanki
notes, referring to two of the U.N. SDG goals.

Howard Hughes Corporation