The processes of clearing land, building foundations, and making space for parking are three of the most expensive components of the construction process. Zoning can help reduce the costs to deliver more affordable housing supply.
Hannah Hoyt and Jenny Schuetz explore strategies to improve the efficiency of apartment construction by reducing costs in site preparation, substructure work, and parking.
The article offers three strategies for lowering the costs of the "groundwork" for developments.
First, conduct due diligence on the site in advance, and run site prep concurrently with other tasks when possible. Second, prioritize building forms that permit simple, shallow foundations. Third, local governments should update zoning regulations to reduce parking requirements, thereby reducing the amount of costly structured parking.
The article also connects zoning reform of parking requirements to reduced construction costs (spoiler alert: savings may vary).
The article is the third installment of a series that explores methods for reducing the costs of multi-family housing construction. previous articles discussed cost categories for different building typologies and proposed strategies to save money on land and soft costs.
FULL STORY: Parking requirements and foundations are driving up the cost of multifamily housing
San Diego Could Expand Parking Reforms to Non-Residential Land Uses
A proposed code amendment would expand parking reforms implemented by San Diego in 2019.
Parking Reforms Under Consideration in St. Paul
Two options for significant parking reforms are under consideration in St. Paul. The City Council could decide to eliminate parking requirements entirely as soon as this summer.
How Parking Reform Changed Development in Buffalo
New research quantifies the effect of parking reforms implemented by the city of Buffalo in 2017.
The Top Urban Planning Books of 2021
Planetizen's annual list of the top urban planning books of the year is here—maintaining a tradition that dates back to 2002.
The Roadway Expansion Paradox
Motorists want expensive roadway expansions provided that somebody else foots the bill, but when required to pay directly through tolls, the need for more capacity often disappears. What should planners do?
Urban Exodus: Data Don't Support the Popular Pandemic Narrative
Americans fled cities in waves during the pandemic, right? Not to so fast.
Equity and Transit Go Hand in Hand for the Pandemic Recovery
Equity illuminates the light at the end of the tunnel for U.S. transit agencies, according to a recent report by the Urban Institute.
Miami Reinstates E-Scooter Program
After abruptly ending its shared e-scooter program last month, Miami is letting the devices return to its streets–with some new rules.
Doubling Down on Bus Rapid Transit in Northern Virginia
Arlington County plans an expansion of the D.C. region's first Bus Rapid Transit line.
Nelson\Nygaard
BRAILSFORD & DUNLAVEY
Water Replenishment District (WRD)
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of San Carlos
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Royal Oak, Michigan
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.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.
