Development Plans

Many cities or local governments would rather build new developments instead of redeveloping an old building. In most cases, the primary reason for this line of thinking is cost. The redevelopment of an old building can have many structural problems such as electrical wiring malfunctions, rusted pipes, or an inadequate foundation. These are just samples of potential problems, but there could definitely be more expensive underlying damage to a building. So, why would a developer want to fix these potential problems? Instead, the developer can build their own project and tailor it to their specifications. Many developers would possibly agree with the reasoning of the preceding sentence. However, they run the risk of having their newly built project becoming another statistic. Well, what statistic am I referring? It is the same statistic the developers pass over when they opt not to redevelop and instead opt to build new projects.

Car Plants

Over the past four to five years, people who reside on the Alabama-Georgia line near the West Point and Valley area have been waiting patiently for the Kia Plant to be up and running. In response to the arrival and running of the plant, some cities began to build many residential developments in hopes of luring the three to four thousand workforce. Many developers and governing city officers and officials reasoned their new residential developments on prior cities who dealt with the same circumstances. So as a result, there were hundreds of residential developments being built, but the demand was not immediate. Some of these developments, if not all, are operating at less than a 50% or 60% occupancy rate. There are many possible reasons for these low occupancy levels, however most could have been avoided . Maybe its the prices? Maybe because there are no current demands? Maybe, these cities just need a little more time? There are no clear cut answers to these problems. In fact, some developers may say there is no problem, but these recent residential developments are definitely not operating at full occupancy.

OverBuilding

During the 1980's and well into the early 1990's, the United States had a land development boom. There were thousands of land developments being built ranging from commercial to residential to industrial. One reason for this era of building was demand. There was a higher demand for land developments in those time frames. A prime example would be an industrial development being implemented to accommodate the rising demand for automobiles, textile mills, shopping malls, and other commercial activities. It is debatable as to whether those demands were actually demands of the public or were they the fantasies of over ambitious businessmen. However, we are feeling the effects of those demands in the current economy. Today, land development and planning is an endangered species in the United States. Developments are moving at a turtle's pace with no intention of increasing speed. So, who is to blame for this inactivity? Of course, there are no takers, but the blame can be divided among all players in the game of land planning and development.

Associations

Community and housing associations were great innovative ideas to help facilitate a long lasting residential district. Many of these associations regulate activities, create or administer fines, and provide services for the members. The association is governed by the members of the community. The association also receives dues from the residential member, which are generally invested back into the community or saved for emergency purposes. The overall impact of a well organized and democratic association has great tangible and intagible benefits. Tangible benefits can easily be observed by viewing common areas such as swimming pools or recreational equipment. However, intangible benefits such as community pride and accoutabilty are also developed as a result of community or housing associations. Created these associations in every type of residential development will be nesessary step in ending the current problems in the housing market. In all cases, this approach should be retroactive.

Building Demolishing

There are a lot of factors that come into play when it comes to demolishing buildings. An early determination to decipher is the age of the building and any historic events that may have occurred in or around the building. These two factors deal primarily with historic preservation and in some cases future planning. Historic events that occurred in a community's local building can have national coverage if deemed newsworthy. For example, if a small town building held a presidential meeting in 1890 it is very likely to be held historic. This historic classification can then hopefully bring in national coverage and hopefully money for there local economy. Building demolition is a careful process that should not be thought of lightly. Another thing to consider is asbestos. That is a topic that does not need any more discussion when land development and land planning is involved. There are many other factors to consider when building demolition is involved. The main consideration is to gather the advice and support of the community, city, or county. Political backing will always be an important factor, so do not underestimate your constituents.

Smart Development

Land development across America is a constantly changing formula. In years past and currently today, many developments were created to meet the particular needs of that area. For instance, suburbs were created to alleviate some of the problems facing large urban cities. In other cases, city zoning and variances restrictions were eased in an attempt to lure profitable gains from ambitious land developer. However, many people consider those days ancient history. With the economy in its present state, what are the land development needs of any city, county, or state? Do we need more houses? Perhaps many cities across the nation have a great need for apartments or condominiums? Over the course of many years, land developers rid themselves of a basic economic principle called supply and demand. As a result, there are many cities with many empty dwellings. On the other hand, I hope smartcode developers have learned from the past. If so, the smartcode development future is unlimited.

Community Districts

Local governments around the United States should consider new regulations, guidelines, and entities when considering land development. One consideration is to defer some decision making to neighborhood associations. For instance, when it comes to historic preservation and the granting of variances, the people who live within that district have an interest in the decision. In most cases, the people who live in the neighborhood have working knowledge and experience regarding the overall future and direction of their respective neighborhoods. These neighborhood associations can provide background information to the governing board who makes the decision or the neighborhood association could ultimately make the decision. I know this is potentially a lot of power to give a nongovernmental body, but they are affected the most by the final decision. Neighborhood associations can provide flexible implementation which can be tailored to meet the particular needs of each distinct community.