To adaptively re-use a building is to re-imagine and re-purpose it. Often old, historic buildings have outlived their original purpose. They can be demolished or brought back to life and adapted to contemporary life. And there are compelling reasons to re-use historic buildings. Sustainable The adaptive re-use of buildings is inherently green. It’s a form of recycling … [Read more...] about Adaptive re-use.
Articles
Reimagining the role of real estate development.
The affordable housing crisis in the United States is affecting more people than you might think. For many Americans, across many income spectrums, a modest apartment is a cost burden and out of reach. There are multiple factors that have contributed to this affordability crisis. Wages have not kept up with rents, fiscal policy has favored homeowners, cars and transport are … [Read more...] about Reimagining the role of real estate development.
Equity and parking requirements.
Zoning, which dictates minimum off-street parking requirements for new and old buildings alike, has led to over 30% of our cities being given over to parking lots. While these parking requirements make for better parking, they make everything else worse. There is no science to parking requirements. Every city adopts its own zoning rules and parking requirements. If you ask a … [Read more...] about Equity and parking requirements.
The high cost of free parking.
Various studies indicate that approximately 30 percent of city land in the United States is allocated to parking. The Department of Urban Planning has estimated that New York City alone has approximately three million on-street parking spaces. Interestingly, only 3 percent of them have meters. Let’s get this straight. While housing costs are rising, often because of the cost … [Read more...] about The high cost of free parking.
Rent to buy.
How do we address the affordable housing crisis? There are lessons to be learned from all over the world. Kris Daff, in Melbourne, Australia, is developing an important solution. Australia’s housing market is very expensive and lack of tenure in the rental market results in significant levels of housing anxiety. At the same time, Kris, a real estate developer, was … [Read more...] about Rent to buy.