Helena Habitat for Humanity Aims to Build 1,000 Affordable Homes
A new Habitat for Humanity project in Helena, Mont., aims to deliver 1,000 affordable housing units and outdoor community amenities
How Eminent Domain May Be Used to Respond to Climate Crises
Eminent domain, which grants the government power to take private property for public use, has displaced thousands of Americans for the sake of infrastructure in the past, but it may be used for a better purpose in a global climate crisis
Soil Connect Is Moving Dirt and Building Relationships
Cliff Fetner created Soil Connect so builders and developers could more easily move dirt and other aggregates from jobsite to jobsite, but it has expanded to become something much more
NAHB Develops Land Use Resources for Home Builders and Buyers
NAHB Chairman's Message: An NAHB Land Development Committee working group is creating educational resources to help make land-use policy information more accessible
How to Transform a Non-View Lot Into an Eye-Catching Home Site
Not everyone can afford to pay a premium for sought-after view lots, but following these design tips can turn any basic yard into a charming outdoor living space
North Carolina Habitat for Humanity Buys 100 Acres of Land for Workforce Housing
The Sandhills, NC, office recently bought 100 acres of land to build workforce housing for hundreds of families
Taylor Woodrow Named A Top Sustainable Company
Taylor Woodrow receives recognition for its commitment to bringing community revitalization through urban infill projects.
School District, Developers Collaborate
Instead of butting heads with local schools, developers Hillwood Residential and Mabrey & Partners, both of Dallas, partnered with the local district to help meet the quickly growing needs of the community.
New Book Helps Development Approvals
A How-To resource for involving the community in your development plans.
Privacy, Please!
Two top practitioners of high-density design provide insight on building affordable high-density housing without compromising privacy.
A Slice of Suburbia on Chicago's Northwest Side
Paul Bertsche and Wendy Andrews formed C.A. Development to build the home and the community they wanted for themselves -- an equal blend of city life and suburban feel. Bertsche and Andrews report on the opportunities, obstacles, outcomes of their most recent development -- the Residences at Old Irving Park.
Temporarily Permanent
Fifteen years after Hurricane Andrew, the temporary FEMA trailers that were put in place are still being used for housing. No matter how we strive, no matter how much we tear down and replace, no matter how we Americans fall passionately in love with the new and updated, we still end up with a built environment pockmarked by ugly temporary housing.
Covering your bases
In November 2005, the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) commission approved 22 closures, recommended realignment for seven and left five bases open. What does this mean for builders? Those 22 closed bases will eventually appear on the market for sale. In a time of decreasing availability of developable real estate, bases closings can provide some of the largest expanses of undeveloped and valuable land in the country.
Best Laid Plans
To hear architect Andrés Duany of Miami-based Duany Plater-Zyberk tell it, Coastal Mississippi is about to enter a reconstruction renaissance. At the same time, he says, New Orleans has been hamstrung by indecision and conflict. "Every time they make a final plan in New Orleans, they retreat," Duany says.
What's Next?
Since the GIs came home from World War II, this country's high-production home builders have had one dominant product: single-family homes built in subdivisions at about four units to the acre. Repeating that product, over and over, allowed the biggest builders to evolve into mass-production machines.
Upward Bound
High-rise and mid-rise construction used to be a high stakes game for regional builders with plenty of coastline. Now, however, even the biggest national builders want a place at the table. Their timing -- always a staple of their success -- couldn't be better.
