Two organizations representing the development industry have released a report to highlight the costs of doing business.
"Regulation imposed by all levels of government (whether local, state or federal) accounts for 32.1 percent of the cost of an average multifamily development, according to a new study conducted jointly by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC)," according to an article on the NAHB's website.
According to the article, the report used a survey of multi-family developers from both organizations to build its conclusions. Over 90 percent of surveyed multi-family developers reported incurring hard costs during the approval processes. The article includes a graph breaking down the kinds of regulations that add costs to multi-family development.
Obviously, given the purpose of these two organizations in representing the interests of the construction and development industry, the findings should be considered with the proper frame. As noted on the website where the full report can be found, however, the only way to collect data on the costs of regulations is to survey developers.
The question of whether reductions in regulatory costs would be for public or private benefit remains.
FULL STORY: Regulation: Over 30 Percent of the Cost of a Multifamily Development
Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary
Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.
Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024
A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.
Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts
From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.
Washington Tribes Receive Resilience Funding
The 28 grants support projects including relocation efforts as coastal communities face the growing impacts of climate change.
Adaptive Reuse Bills Introduced in California Assembly
The legislation would expand eligibility for economic incentives and let cities loosen regulations to allow for more building conversions.
LA's Top Parks, Ranked
TimeOut just released its list of the top 26 parks in the L.A. area, which is home to some of the best green spaces around.
City of Rochester
Boston Harbor Now
City of Bellevue
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Colorado Department of Local Affairs
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.