btcRE: be the change Real Estate

It's a story all too common in midcentury 1900s America - A city is divided by a *new* Interstate highway - often leaving Blacks and other citizens of color stranded and left to deal with the consequences of high-speed traffic and pollution. New Rochelle - a suburb of New York City - was one of the cities suffering from the affects of unjust "urban renewal." Now, after years of advocacy and nearly $30M in federal grants, mayor Yadira Ramos-Herbert is leading the effort to cut Memorial Highway down to three lanes and cover the rest with green space. https://lnkd.in/emnpM2CH

In honor and observance of Indigenous Peoples' Day, let's all take a moment to recognize the rich history, diverse cultures, and significant contributions of Indigenous communities around the world. As we commemorate this day, may we all commit to fostering understanding and ensuring that the voices and stories of Indigenous communities continue to be heard and valued. #IndigenousPeoplesDay #CulturalAwareness #TogetherForChange

It's crazy to think that less than 100 years ago, developers and homeowners were allowed to restrict Black, Polish and Jewish people from living in their homes and neighborhoods. And some they went even further. "If anyone of any other race occupied any of the properties, the covenant read, neighbors could evict them “by force of arms," cited an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer written by Michaelle Bond. Thankfully, Pennsylvania is the latest state to make it relatively easy for property owners to strike these hurtful and archaic covenants from their deeds. Link to full story in comments. It's an interesting one - we'd love to hear your thoughts. Photo from Philadelphia Inquirer: Marshal Granor, the Montgomery County real estate attorney who was instrumental in pushing Pennsylvania to join other states in addressing restrictive deed covenants, points to the form property owners can file to renounce discriminatory language in their property documents. Photo by Alejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer

With another deadly hurricane threatening the coast of Florida, this piece from Bloomberg City News is - unfortunately - very timely. Should evictions be banned after hurricanes and climate disasters - especially as they become stronger and more frequent? While it seems that most people think pausing evictions would be a no-brainer, some disagree - causing brutal cascading effects for people who rent - especially in places like Florida. "The intersection of the US housing shortage and climate-change-fueled extreme weather represents a collision of threats sometimes described as a polycrisis — a constellation of connected risks whose effects intensify each other." Read more in this gifted article from Bloomberg City News: https://lnkd.in/eB4DPGbW (Photo: Damaged belongings outside an apartment building in Treasure Island, Florida, after the storm surge from Hurricane Helene. Photographer: Thomas Simonetti for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

An unsuprising yet inspiring dispatch from a car-free neighborhood in Arizona - It's cooler than the rest of the state - Literally and figuratively. Culdesac feels about 15 degrees colder than the city's temperature, thanks to four major (and very thoughtful) design and material elements incorporated into the development: - No-asphalt approach: Unlike most urban areas, the neighborhood was built without asphalt, a paving material that soaks up the sun's heat. - Made for the shade: The residential buildings are positioned close together to add as much sun coverage as possible to the block. - Thoughtful landscaping: More than 50% of Culdesac is open space full of plants that add shade. The community carefully selected trees that provide sun coverage, opting for palo verde - ideal for shade - over palm trees. - Strategic bright colors: Developers selected white paint for its buildings because, unlike darker colors, the sun's rays bounce off white surfaces, resulting in the buildings absorbing less heat. Read the full story in this unlocked article from Business Insider: https://lnkd.in/ePWRmgqR (Photo credit to Vince Dickson and Planet Forward. Aren't the buildings giving Santorini vibes?)

An unsuprising yet inspiring dispatch from a car-free neighborhood in Arizona - It's cooler than the rest of the state - Literally and figuratively. Culdesac feels about 15 degrees colder than the city's temperature, thanks to four major (and very thoughtful) design and material elements incorporated into the development: - No-asphalt approach: Unlike most urban areas, the neighborhood was built without asphalt, a paving material that soaks up the sun's heat. - Made for the shade: The residential buildings are positioned close together to add as much sun coverage as possible to the block. - Thoughtful landscaping: More than 50% of Culdesac is open space full of plants that add shade. The community carefully selected trees that provide sun coverage, opting for palo verde - ideal for shade - over palm trees. - Strategic bright colors: Developers selected white paint for its buildings because, unlike darker colors, the sun's rays bounce off white surfaces, resulting in the buildings absorbing less heat. Read the full story in this unlocked article from Business Insider.

People working in btcRE properties had a chance to get their last licks of summer - literally - when the famous Zack's ice cream truck rolled around to Hunt Street in Watertown, and down Bear Hill Road and Calvary Street in Waltham last week. It's a semi-annual tradition for btcRE and an awesome excuse for a strawberry shortcake bar (obviously). About 175 treats - and at least twice as many smiles - were distributed to the people and a few random freezers at btcRE properties. What ice cream novelty would you have picked?

Would you entertain an *incentive* to move to another part of the country? If so, how much would it take to prompt a move to Elkins, West Virginia; Tulsa, Oklahoma; or Newton, Iowa? https://lnkd.in/gtTP8g3f

There's been lots of talk about office-to-residential conversions recently - But not as much conversation about another class of building that's increasingly becoming emptier and emptier: Churches. "This landscape of faith is undergoing a dramatic transformation, as the United States is experiencing a “tsunami of church closings," reports Patrick Sisson in this piece from Bloomberg CityLab. In fact, housing consultant Rick Reinhard has estimated that up to 100,000 houses of worship — 25 percent of the total number of churches in the country — could shut over the coming decades. But while churches present unique opportunities, they also face a litany of challenges - from zoning to the architectural incompatibility of the historic structures. Read more here - https://lnkd.in/gC9VdNH9

When luxury lifestyle magazine Travel and Leisure publishes an above-the-fold/Instagram-featured story about where to find affordable housing, you know the issue has truly reached critical mass. Truth is, while we're absolutely frustrated by crisis (like millions of others!), we're glad to see it gaining momentum as a topic that needs attention - and perhaps more importantly, solutions. (Link to story in comments)