Recent economic times have left many of us scratching our heads trying to figure out where the next wave of work is going to come from for those of us in the construction industry.
After a recent roundtable discussion with a group of architect clients we mostly concluded that the urban market has returned first and will remain strong through continued development in our city centers.
During the 1990s the Baby Boomers were in their family forming years and the nations suburbs grew faster than its cities. Jobs and retail followed housing and infill urban development had many perceived challenges.
Moving forward from 2010 however demographic trends and perceived barriers such as traffic and quality of life will likely drive demand for more urban products.
As Boomers retire many are choosing different lifestyles, trading in the 5 bedroom house and yard for well located townhomes, condos and senior living facilities.
The Gen Xers and Echo Boomers as well tend to demand more urban lifestyles with a propensity towards remaining single and starting families late.
The fastest growing household demographic is that of childless couples, non-family and single person households.
All tolled as many as 65% of new households will be candidates for something other than the traditional suburban cul-de-sac house.
In addition surveys have shown preferences for “new urbanism”, and urban mixed use developments have been able to achieve higher rents per square foot than suburban developments in recent years.
A recent AIA survey featured on www.builderonline.com confirmed the demand for urban infill development over suburban development: http://www.builderonline.com/green-building/infill-invasion.aspx
As professionals devoted to responsible land use we welcome the current surge towards urban living and look for it to remain strong as a sustainable development strategy.
Tags: infill, mixed-use, new urbanism, redevelopment, urban
Posted in Urban Redevelopment
Question: How do you engineer a grading plan with a cut-fill balance when designing a site around unearthed historic railroad tracks, existing active railroad tracks, existing high voltage transmission towers and two existing historic building structures?
Answer: You don’t!
When the 11-acre site of the historic Richmond Steel buildings was developed into a movie theatre with over 650 new parking spaces, existing buildings and rail tracks were highlighted to earn state and federal historic tax credits, and several thousand cubic yards of dirt had to be hauled off to effectively drain the site.
One of the greatest challenges with redevelopment is working within the constraints of the existing conditions. Rehab and infill sites are surrounded on all sides and often encompass fixed objects, where elevations and site improvements must be designed to fit into the existing framework. This is evident as you view your urban surroundings and notice sidewalks and entrances that are warped beyond belief as well as sites with unusual grade changes, retaining walls and other oddities. These items were likely retrofits and rehabs that were forced into unique configurations to meld with existing features. Storm sewer and utility connections are also limited by what existing infrastructure has to offer, providing another unique set of challenges when designing infrastructure. Including architects and engineers on your team who have the experience and expertise required to successfully deliver re-development projects helps to ensure the ultimate quality of the re-development.
Tags: land development, redevelopment
Posted in Urban Redevelopment
Sustainable…LEED…green…LID…these terms have become industry marketing buzzwords, but what are their true meanings? Many who have pondered the importance of these concepts will quickly understand that urban re-development and urban infill development are, by their nature, the most low impact types of land development available.
Rehabilitation of an existing structure or the re-development of property that has already undergone some use will decrease the need for urban sprawl, deforestation and other impacts to our natural surroundings.
I’ll use two examples:
- In a dense urban setting sits a half-acre infill lot. The site is slated for a 30-unit apartment building with a large retaining wall. Due to the infill nature of the site, it will never provide substantial wildlife habitat or public recreation opportunities. This site is a prime candidate for a low impact development project. By putting 30 units on this parcel, the demand for a new green-field suburban apartment complex is decreased, replaced instead by a housing option that does not require deforestation or impacts to farmland.
- A five-acre site in an existing urban industrial park has a creek running right through the middle of it. The owner desires to impact the creek by installing 200 linear feet of culvert pipe in order to create vehicular access to the opposite half of the site, which is currently inaccessible.
Allowing the owner to improve his already developed site in the City helps reduce the demand for a new suburban industrial complex outside of the City’s current development footprint.
Land development is necessary for the growth of society, yet any new development that is not re-development or urban infill development will require deforestation and/or other negative impacts to previously untouched natural environments. Using every possible opportunity to recycle land that has already undergone some type of development allows us to continue development without increasing our impact on the natural environments that we cherish.
Tags: infill, land development, redevelopment
Posted in Urban Redevelopment
Recent economic times have left many of us scratching our heads trying to figure out where the next wave of work is going to come from for those of us in the construction industry.