From Concept to Community: Shaping Places People Call Home
Every project begins with a site and a set of possibilities. Before plans are drawn or buildings take shape, there is land that needs to be understood. Its context, its constraints, and the people it will ultimately serve all help define what it can become. At Cline, land planning is the process that connects those early ideas to real, livable communities.
We do not start with lines on a plan. We start with people.
Where Stories Take Shape
We believe great communities are built when vision and purpose come together. Land planning is the bridge between what a place could be and what it should be.
Every parcel is a puzzle. The site, the codes, the surrounding neighborhood, and the future residents all play a role. Our job is to understand each piece and bring them together in a way that feels natural, thoughtful, and lasting.
From early conversations and hand sketches to approvals and master plans, we move with care and clarity. Our work is guided by one goal: to create places that feel like they belong to the people who will call them home.
Planning with People at the Center
Our planning team combines creativity, technical expertise, and deep regional knowledge to help clients move from vision to reality. We support projects across a wide range of scales and communities through services that include:
- Due Diligence
- Density Studies
- Entitlements
- Master Planning
- Urban Design
- Land Planning
- Engagement and Charrettes
Each service plays a role in shaping a project that is realistic, responsive, and ready to move forward.
Communities in Practice
Santé Matthews is a 67-acre mixed-use community designed to support wellness, walkability, and long-term growth within the Town of Matthews’ Eastern Gateway Plan. Working with Pappas Properties, our team helped shape a 570-unit development that blends residential, retail, and shared spaces. The plan includes a village park, wellness center, urban agriculture, retail, and a range of housing types. Sustainability was a key focus, with strategies centered on reducing energy use, conserving water, and supporting responsible development.
The Ramsey is a 240-unit community designed to create moments of connection and pause within an urban setting. At the center of the project are three courtyards that support wellness, relaxation, and social interaction. The zen garden blends modern materials with natural elements to create a calm, reflective environment, including a meditation labyrinth, open turf for yoga, and quiet seating areas. The pool courtyard serves as a gathering space, anchored by a dual-sided firepit, outdoor cooking and dining areas, swings, and landscaped lounges. Together, these shared spaces help shape a community that feels balanced, intentional, and connected to its surroundings.
Willard Street Apartments was developed to bring high-quality affordable housing into the heart of Durham. Partnering with DHIC, Self-Help, and the City of Durham, the project transformed a vacant site into 82 affordable homes adjacent to transit and downtown amenities. A secure elevated plaza serves as a shared outdoor space with seating, play areas, and gathering spaces. The project reflects a commitment to accessibility, connection, and long-term community benefit.
As our Planning Director often shares, rules and regulations help shape better outcomes when they are treated as part of the design process rather than obstacles.
“When we understand the limits of a site and the needs of the surrounding community, planning becomes a tool for clarity. It allows us to move forward with confidence and create places that truly work.”
Joshus Karrick, PLA, ASLA, AICP
Partner | Planning Director
From Idea to Implementation
Land planning connects vision with reality. It ensures that each project is grounded in its context and designed with long-term use in mind. By understanding each site and the community around it, we help create places that are functional, welcoming, and built to last. This is how we move from concept to community.
