Archives

August

• 08-14-17

  Increasing the Walkable Properties and Values Around New York City

  At its core, New York City is one of the most walkable places on Earth. But a recent analysis showed the vast majority of the New York metro area is not very walkable—even compared with other U.S. cities, like Boston; Washington, D.C.; or even newer cities like Atlanta.

• 08-14-17

  U.S. Cities Increasingly Focused on Resilience, but Funding Challenges Persist

  The increased emphasis being placed by cities—small as well as large—on embedding resilience into their land use and development policies was the topic of the 2017 Resilient Cities Summit cohosted in Stowe, Vermont, by ULI, the National League of Cities, and the U.S. Green Building Council. Attendees said resilient approaches to infrastructure and development provide long-term economic benefits for cities by safeguarding their real estate assets and tax base, supporting business continuity after adverse events, and protecting residents.

• 08-10-17

  San Antonio Focusing on Revitalizing Downtown with Office, Residential, and Green Space

  Ten years ago, San Antonio’s bond program dedicated a mere $10 million to downtown improvements. In 2012, that number had jumped to $90 million, and the most recent bond initiative, passed in May, earmarks $170 million for downtown projects.

• 08-10-17

  Making the Case for Health: Insights from the First WELL Projects

  With a handful of WELL-certified projects now in operation and hundreds in the certification pipeline, real estate owners and developers are starting to take a hard look at the business case for healthy building certification.

• 08-09-17

  In Brief: Apple’s High-Yielding Retail Space

  Sales per square foot at all but a few public retailers have declined to an average of $325 ($3,498 per sq m), down from nearly $375 ($4,036 per sq m) in the early 2000s, according to research by CoStar. But while e-commerce has been disruptive to traditional retailers, several companies, including Apple, Tiffany, and lululemon, have managed to increase sales.

• 08-09-17

  Dallas/Fort Worth Region Considering Options for a Flexible Future of Parking

  Parking is a big issue in the Dallas/Fort Worth region, an area that 3.4 million more people are expected to call home between now and 2040, raising the total population to 10.6 million while adding 2.3 million more cars to clogged roadways. At an event in Dallas, land-use experts considered several solutions for a flexible future.

• 08-09-17

  Retail-Led Mixed Use in an Age of E-Commerce Outside Shanghai

  The LifeHub@Kunshan complex, just a brief train ride from Shanghai, integrates workforce housing, shopping, entertainment, e-commerce—and local culture.

• 08-09-17

  Land Banks Helping Rebuild from Legacy of Foreclosure

  For more than a decade, the brick “two-flat” on the 900 block of North Drake Avenue on Chicago’s West Side had been vacant. But by the time the school year begins this fall, the West Humboldt Park home will have a new occupant. A major reason for this property’s happy ending is the involvement of a land bank that acquired the building and wiped out its back taxes and encumbrances, making it easier for someone to purchase the property and improve it.

• 08-09-17

  In Brief: U.S. Commercial Lending Rebounds in Second Quarter, Led by CMBS

  Commercial real estate lending in the United States continued to grow in the second quarter, led by a surge in commercial mortgage–backed securities (CMBS) mortgages, according to the latest research from CBRE. Volume improved across all major lending groups, with CMBS conduits leading all other lenders in terms of market share.

• 08-08-17

  Baltimore’s New Zoning Hoped to Boost More Mixed-Use Development

  Revisions to Baltimore’s zoning code include a new zoning category—“industrial mixed-use”—which both city officials and local developers hope will spur economic development while preserving neighborhood character throughout the city.