When we think about housing, especially in urban areas, we’re not just thinking about a place to rest our head. Instead, housing must include some broader amenities, such as access to transportation, services and jobs. And even more importantly, as more and more people move back from the suburbs to urban neighborhoods, there is an increased focus on finding community. Today, … [Read more...] about The importance of community.
Development
Learning by doing.
With any project, learning from success and failure is important. In real estate, paying attention to and making adjustments based on what works and what doesn’t can have a major impact on the success of both current and future projects. This is especially true for projects that involve unique problems or complex issues that lack clear solutions. In these cases, the ability to … [Read more...] about Learning by doing.
How to transform a city.
Tom Murphy is the second-longest serving mayor of Pittsburgh (after David Lawrence). He is noted for overseeing the difficult, but transformative transition of the city from the mid-1990s to mid-2000s during turbulent Downtown development cycles, an initially unpopular funding bid for two new waterfront stadiums, a new convention center (then the largest ‘green’ building in … [Read more...] about How to transform a city.
Delicious urban soup.
Entrepreneur-in-Residence is a bold and unusual title for a real estate developer. Emerick Paul Patterson, who owns that title, fits the bill. Emerick's work over the past two years has focused on the East Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, where he partnered with the real estate developer, Heritage Equity Partners, to create a large-scale (500,000 square foot) culture … [Read more...] about Delicious urban soup.
Affordable and sustainable through simple reduction.
The crisis in affordable housing and the growing awareness of climate change both loom large as increasingly pressing issues. Both real estate investors and homebuyers are increasingly interested in housing that can be both affordable and sustainable. However, most people believe that the two are mutually exclusive – that much higher costs are required to build … [Read more...] about Affordable and sustainable through simple reduction.