Today we’d like to introduce you to David Horwath.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
David Horwath became President of Land Innovations in 2022, bringing with him decades of experience leading development projects across the U.S., Canada, and Brazil. A licensed professional civil engineer, he holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Georgia Tech and an MBA from Vanderbilt University. David is deeply committed to town building and leads the Land Innovations team with a passion for connecting land, life, and legacy. As a member of CNU, the NTBA, and the past Maury County Regional Planning Commissioner, he is an advocate for creating meaningful places.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Over the last 80 years, nearly every part of the development industry, from zoning and banking to public perception has been structured to discourage mixed-use, walkable development in favor of suburban sprawl. Traditional Neighborhood Development is often limited to infill sites or second-home markets, and few groups are pursuing it as a primary focus at scale, let alone across multiple projects at one time. Yet the impacts of suburban sprawl are clear, particularly in the physical and social separation of people.
At the heart of town building is connection, and our work centers on bringing people together through thoughtful, mixed-use environments. Ironically, in many jurisdictions across the country, mixing residential and commercial uses the foundation of traditional towns, remains illegal, creating one of the greatest challenges to building truly connected communities.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Land Innovations?
At Land Innovations, we are focused on town building, creating places that endure, mature over time, and become richer through the lives of the people who call them home. Our work begins with a simple but often overlooked priority: connecting people first. Rather than designing around vehicles, lot counts, or patterns of suburban sprawl, we ask how a place can foster belonging, walkability, and daily life shared in community.
We connect land, life, and legacy by shaping thoughtful, impactful developments that respect the past, respond to the present, and invest in the future. Through dynamic partnerships and an intentional design approach, we create environments where residents can thrive, relationships can grow, and communities can flourish for generations. As David often says, “Town builders create the canvas that encourages human flourishing.” That belief guides how we work: with deep care, constant curiosity, collaborative partnership, proactive leadership, and a commitment to getting 1% better every day.
What sets us apart is not just what we build, but how and why we build it: with a long-term vision for places that truly matter to the people who live there.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
Partnerships are essential to everything we do. No single group can create meaningful places alone, progress happens when everyone contributes and works toward a shared vision. We’ve also learned that pursuing perfection can stall momentum. Great is often the enemy of “very good,” and authentic places aren’t meant to be flawless. We’re not creating Disneyland; we’re building real communities, and that requires flexibility, trust, and a willingness to move forward with intention rather than waiting for perfection. The places that stand the test of time focus on the connection of people. That is town building.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://li-tn.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidhorwathjr
