Morley Builders’ Post

Check out our latest conversation on how cities are working to make housing designs more accessible and shorten the timeline and risk for developers and builders. There are a lot of details that have to be right in these programs to see success!

"This is a familiar kind of kludge: burdening new housing with a hundred policy objectives. It has costs. Buildings will end up smaller and more expensive. The city’s own analysis finds that 30-unit buildings might just barely make economic sense, and only if they are sold as condos. Translate this into architecture and built form, and this model will generate a patchwork of small, cheaply constructed buildings with awkward side yards. At best. At worst, it will generate paperwork until the city decides to try again." https://lnkd.in/gBSMim5g Victoria did this, despite advice from builders. Globe editorial said: "city then piled on numerous rules incl building height, parking & added costs. It’s akin to opening a door & immediately bolting it shut." Little accountability for bad policy. https://lnkd.in/gwyR8HiW

"This is a familiar kind of kludge: burdening new housing with a hundred policy objectives. It has costs. Buildings will end up smaller and more expensive. The city’s own analysis finds that 30-unit buildings might just barely make economic sense, and only if they are sold as condos. Translate this into architecture and built form, and this model will generate a patchwork of small, cheaply constructed buildings with awkward side yards. At best. At worst, it will generate paperwork until the city decides to try again." https://lnkd.in/gUVp_jZF Victoria did this, despite advice from builders. Globe editorial said: "city then piled on numerous rules incl building height, parking & added costs. It’s akin to opening a door & immediately bolting it shut." Little accountability for bad policy. https://lnkd.in/gwfi4KbD

There was a good webinar by CNU last Wednesday about pre-approved house plans, and the linked article is a concise summary of the webinar. The takeaway is that pre-approved house plans are one potential option towards making denser, missing middle typologies more acceptable to the public because the designs are familiar and aesthetically pleasing, coupled with assurances of higher quality. Moreover, the pre-approval and vetting by municipalities throughout the initial design process instills trust, addressing concerns preemptively and streamlining the review process for greater efficiency. The line from the linked article gives a good summary: “One reason why they are popular is that these programs are politically neutral and quicker to implement than some of the structural problems we face, like increasing the cohort of contractors who build or reforming zoning." When I was at the City of Kitchener, staff were exploring a similar program for detached ADUs (not sure what happened with that), but a line from one of the senior planners has always stuck with me: "let's make good easy". https://lnkd.in/gjarKvzC #missingmiddle

A growing number of communities across the US are beginning to adopt pre-approved building plan programs to address the housing crisis by reducing regulatory friction. Pre-approved building plans allow a city to greatly expedite the permitting process for a defined set of designs - often based on the region's vernacular architecture. Benefits: - Align the interests of city hall with local developers and allow the community to become more familiar with the missing middle housing types; - Encourage higher quality design and help level the playing field between small and large developers; - Reduce regulatory friction in complex housing delivery systems. Challenges: - Requires planners to bet on what plans developers will like; - Unfamiliar designs, which might pose a financial risk at the outset; - Expose weaknesses in a city's approval process. I would add: Too much standardisation and little or no diversity can lead to boring neighbourhoods and a lack of innovation? #urbandevelopment #urbanplanning #realestate #propertydevelopment #urbanregeneration #construction #buildingdesign #realestatedevelopment #housingcrisis #housingtrends #housing #permitting #buildings

Loved playing a small part in this preservation and conversion of this beautiful building to residential! As we work to address the housing crisis, we I beleive that we need to see more examples like this. Transitioning unused buildings/spaces into much needed housing is key to increasing supply and revitalizing neighborhoods! #redevelopment #conversion #housing #housingcrisis #housingforall https://lnkd.in/grzxfJBa

🏗️ Exciting News for San Francisco! 🌉 The recently green-lit Constraints Reduction Ordinance is a pivotal move that simplifies the City's housing development process, making it quicker and less cumbersome. Dive into our latest blog to discover how this ordinance reduces constraints, streamlines approvals and paves the way for more affordable housing. Together, we're building a brighter, more accessible future for San Francisco. Read more about our insights and the broader implications of this reform on our website! #architecture #sanfrancisco #housingpolicy #housing #california #affordablehousing #californiarealestate #californiadevelopment #design #sanfrancisco #multifamilyrealestate #multifamilydevelopment  #housingcrisis 

“The New York City Council unanimously approved a plan that would radically transform a section of the Bronx, replacing low-slung industrial buildings with thousands of new apartments as the city contends with its worst housing shortage since the late 1960s. The rezoning plan will remake a 46-block corridor around the Morris Park, Van Nest and Parkchester areas, adding about 7,000 housing units near four new commuter rail stations, which are scheduled to be completed by 2027. In the years that follow a new neighborhood would emerge, made up primarily of mid- and high-rise residential towers. The plan is the latest rezoning to take place in the Bronx, the poorest borough in the city, whose southern neighborhoods have been transformed in recent years by the march of new construction and high-rise rentals. This effort targets a slice of the East Bronx that now has very few residents — just 637 — and aligns with the Adams administration’s blueprint of encouraging new housing in pockets of New York City, including in areas currently filled with manufacturing sites. Compared with the rest of the city, the Bronx has avoided the expansion of large-scale development that has overhauled Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens. Yet developers have been eager to push into what is considered the city’s last frontier. Of the new Bronx apartments, about 1,700 would be permanently offered at below-market rates.” https://lnkd.in/ewF-J8YA

The Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) has approved the latest phase of Core Investments, Inc. On the Dot project in South Boston's Andrew Square. This phase will transform a 21-acre industrial site near the Andrew Square MBTA Station into a vibrant mixed-use area featuring 3 life-science and office buildings and 2 residential buildings. These include a 16-story building with 237 market-rate units and a 7 story senior housing building with 94 units. Overall, the project encompasses approximately 1.4M SF in this phase as part of the larger 3.8M SF development. When complete, On the Dot will comprise 11 buildings and provide 1,450 apartments, 17% of which will be affordable, alongside 2.9 acres of open space. This development represents a transformative revitalization of this former industrial hub into a dynamic residential and commercial district. #tod #bpda #bostondevelopment #southboston VHB Halvorson | Tighe & Bond Studio Howard Stein Hudson Stantec https://lnkd.in/eRSYRQj2