Given the distinctive character of individual communities, the special requirements of the populations, and the complexities of funding, developers of affordable housing regard every project as a unique opportunity that demands creativity, commitment, and patience. Read how Los Angeles–area private developers and their public partners are reshaping both the perception and reality of affordable housing.

As cities increasingly focus on the impact climate change will have on day-to-day lives, public officials need to think more proactively about the ways they can deliver services and food more efficiently, because the environmental cost of transportation affects communities. Learn about eight advantages of urban agriculture, and how people can take back their connection to fresh food.

To protect a developer’s position and perhaps eliminate any remaining personal guarantees, all projects related to a particular lender can be isolated and transferred into a new subsidiary roll-up entity that is still 100 percent owned by the sponsor/guarantor. Read the five opportunities this “silo” approach offers the developer and the silo lender.

The recent announcement by the Federal Reserve that it will purchase $600 billion of longer-term treasuries—known as quantitative easing—is clearly aimed at the housing market, as well as at commercial lending in general. This move raises two questions: which way will interest rates move as a result? and what will be the impact of low or falling rates on the housing market?

Both private and institutional investors are focused on deploying capital in real estate markets that are poised for job growth and in deals that provide current cash flow. Learn what steps investors can take to better position themselves this year as they attempt to navigate a changed capital market with new players and different investment strategies.