real estate

The three presidents of the major design organizations shaping the built environment – the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), American Institute of Architects (AIA), and American Planning Association (APA) – discussed the challenges facing the design professions as well as the opportunities at the American...[read more]

It seems like progressive urbanism is starting to sell papers. Two pieces on suburban sprawl, that ever creeping bogey man facing every urban planner under 50, have graced the front pages of the New York Times website over the past three days. I won’t talk about Louise Mozingo’s essay, an excellent piece on the reconceptualization of...[read more]

Many of us know that the triple bottom line means “people, planet and profit”, being economically, socially and environmentally beneficial. That is, expanding the traditional reporting framework to take into account ecological and social performance in addition to financial performance (Wikipedia).So what does this mean for real estate...[read more]

I am often asked about the role of foreign architects working in China-particularly why China even needs foreign architects when there are many qualified Chinese architects. The answer is simple, albeit not the most politically correct:[read more]

Consensus among international media is that China’s economy is heading for an imminent and disastrous crash due to its inflated housing market. While there is absolutely no denying that housing prices in central parts of 1st Tier cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou are sky-high, this does not signal the end of China’s...[read more]

Living within blocks of Central Park is the New York City dream, reflected in literature, in movies, in advertising campaigns—everywhere, it seems, except reality. Only those who live here know the deep, dark secrets of the most famous city park: that its size and breadth can make planning play dates a pain; that adjacent Upper West and East Side real estate can be more like unreal estate; and that, like the sidewalks they head into the green to escape, this park is packed. In recent years, New Yorkers in the know have turned away from the center to smaller parks that combine a quiet accessibility with familiarity and a neighborhood feel. New development projects near today’s It parks allow growing families to turn away from the ubiquitous Upper East and West Sides and find themselves at home in luxury buildings with New York City parks that serve as their backyard.[read more]

ABOVE: Cities, like Washington, D.C., are attracting a younger, more affluent, white population. Photo by Poldavo (Alex). From “Bright Flight” Means Younger, More Affluent Cities | TheCityFix.com: A new study from the Brookings Institution, “The State of Metropolitan America,” shows that, for the first time, America’s suburbs are...[read more]

Last week the Urban Land Institute and PriceWaterhouseCoopers released their well-regarded annual analysis, Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2010.  The report, which has been published for the last 30 years, aims to advise the industry "on where to invest, what to develop, which markets are hot, and how the economy, and trends in...[read more]

Even before the recession began, the market for residential and commercial property in the US was changing away from a model of unmitigated suburban sprawl and toward one of more central locations, urbanity, and walkable neighborhoods.  The foreclosure crisis, spike in gasoline prices, and then the full-blown...[read more]