Proof the Small-Scale Can Spark Big Change
We’re thrilled to announce the Office of Jason T. Hyman’s Lost Spaces initiative has been awarded the APA Grassroots Initiative Award by the American Planning Association. This recognition honors innovative, community-led planning efforts, and we’re proud to see a project born in the heart of Houston’s Third Ward receive recognition. As a boutique firm forging a path off the beaten path of transaction oriented real estate, it means everything to thrive, compete, and in cases like this, win by leaning into people-first urban planning principles.
Lost Spaces is the implementation arm of our Tactical Housing Plan—designed to transform underutilized lots into vibrant community spaces that spark local business, activate the corridor, and center cultural identity. Through this initiative, we’ve demonstrated what’s possible when planning is done with—not to—community.
In a neighborhood long impacted by systemic disinvestment and now pressured by gentrification, Lost Spaces has emerged as a tangible example of what equity-focused development can look like. From activating lots along Emancipation Avenue to hosting our annual Lost Spaces Conference that brings together residents, planners, artists, and policymakers, the initiative has created ripples of energy that go beyond design—they build momentum.
This award recognizes more than a single project—it acknowledges a movement rooted in ownership, opportunity, and stewardship. Our partners, collaborators, and community members have helped shape this work every step of the way. The recognition by APA further validates that small-scale, culturally-rooted revitalization efforts are not only valuable—they’re essential.
As we look ahead to future activations, partnerships, and policy shifts, we remain committed to reimagining vacant and underutilized land as an entry point to broader community prosperity.
Thank you to APA, our local partners, and everyone who has supported this journey. We invite you to learn more, get involved, and help us keep building from the ground up. We’d love to be a part of your revitalization journey as well. From engagement to strategy and place-based storytelling, we’re ready to build places people love.
