Posted on March 8, 2018

An analysis by the McKinsey Global Institute summarized in the Harvard Business Review concluded increasing consumer demand for goods and services is key to restarting growth across advanced economies. U.S. economic growth has averaged only 2 percent per year since 2010, while productivity growth, a key to increasing living standards, has been “languishing near historic lows since the financial crisis.” The report cites slowing population growth, flat wages and weak corporate investment as contributing to lower demand. This trend can be potentially reversed by “focusing on productive investment as a fiscal priority, growing the purchasing power of low-income consumers with the highest propensity to consume, unlocking private business and residential investment, and supporting worker training and transition programs to ensure that periods of transition do not disrupt incomes.”

Posted on March 7, 2018

With capacity challenges mounting in numerous basins across the City, Charlotte Water is taking steps to assure developers they’ll have the sewer taps for their projects when the need arises.

Posted on March 7, 2018

Architect and Work Design magazine publisher Bob Fox has identified seven major trends that he predicts will make an impact on the workplace in 2018. To attract and retain top talent, he believes businesses will create health-oriented workplaces that offer a sense of community through wellness programs and collaborative projects with other building tenants. Fox also sees the rise of “resimercial” office designs that bring the comforts of home into work and can accommodate a broader range of functions. Other trends Fox predicts include office designs that reflect the companies’ missions, the prioritization of overall value rather than cost reduction when redesigning space, the use of virtual assistants, and women leading change to create healthier, higher-performing workplaces.

Posted on March 6, 2018

By: Paul N. Dubrasich

Posted on March 6, 2018

Posted on March 5, 2018

The City of Charlotte has released a draft of its Transit-Oriented Development A (TOD-A) ordinance, which would allow higher-density, mixed-used development within a quarter-mile of transit stations like the CATS Blue Line.

Posted on March 5, 2018

Interest groups in California are collecting signatures in order to place an initiative on the November ballot that could change the way property taxes are calculated.

Posted on March 2, 2018

An Energy Code exemption championed by REBIC and NAIOP will finally take effect this week, after the Rules Review Commission set an effective date of March 1, 2018, for N.C. Session Law 2017-10, formerly known as SB131.

Posted on February 28, 2018

A recent Memoori report, Occupancy Analytics & In-Building Location Based Services 2017 to 2022, finds “value-added services such as space utilization, indoor positioning, connected lighting and asset tracking are helping to drive the adoption of As-a-Service business models.”

Posted on February 27, 2018

According to a REIS, Inc. analysis, the industrial sector experienced robust growth at the end of last year and will continue to expand during 2018. Warehouse and distribution space vacancy is at a historic low and flex/R&D space vacancy rates fell in the fourth quarter. Both subcategories had strong rent growth due to “improved trade and robust e-commerce sales.” Additionally, market indicators such as increasing e-commerce sales, manufacturing sector expansion, growing aggregate trade and added industrial-related jobs all indicate the sector is poised for further growth in 2018.

Posted on February 26, 2018

The City of Charlotte has released a draft of its Transit-Oriented Development A (TOD-A) ordinance, which would allow higher-density, mixed-used development within a quarter-mile of transit stations like the CATS Blue Line.

Posted on February 23, 2018

By: Brian L. Reetz, and Emilie C. Carter, PLA, ASLA

Posted on February 22, 2018

By: Clay Edwards

Posted on February 21, 2018

By: Richard B. Peiser, Ph.D. and Raymond G. Torto, Ph.D.

Posted on February 21, 2018

Posted on February 9, 2018

Check out some of the new educational courses offered for 2018.

Posted on January 30, 2018

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Department has been diligently working on Charlotte Place Types and Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), a city-wide effort aimed at updating the policies and regulations that guide growth and development in our community. The project is scheduled to meet some major milestones in 2018 with a draft Place Types Policy Document ready for public review in August and adoption of new Transit Oriented Development (TOD) zoning districts expected in December. The success of this project is dependent upon receiving input all our community stakeholders and we believe your organization can help us reach an important audience. Therefore, would you please take a minute to:

• Sign up for updates at charlotteudo.org for blog posts, upcoming events, and quarterly newsletters;
• Like @CLTPlanning on Facebook for fun facts, relevant articles, and short surveys. 

Posted on January 16, 2018

NAIOP asked some of the Research Foundation’s Distinguished Fellows, the nation’s foremost commercial real estate, economic and public policy experts in academia: How do you cultivate leadership skills in your organization? 

Click here to see what they said.

Posted on January 17, 2018

Analysis by Reis, Inc. shows the U.S. office market in 2017 experienced a slowdown in tenant expansions while supply growth stayed at about the same level as in 2016. As reported in the Wall Street Journal, the survey of 79 metropolitan areas revealed that net absorption at the end of 2017 was at its lowest since 2012. In 2017, developers added 37.6 million square feet, only 1 million square feet more than in 2016, which may mitigate slower absorption rates. Vacancy increased during the fourth quarter of 2017 in 33 of the 79 markets, with New York having the lowest (8.7 percent) and Dayton, Ohio, the highest (27 percent). According to the report, growth in absorption has been falling in part because tenants have become more efficient in how they use their space, eliminating private offices and encouraging employees to work closer together. The report stated, “office-based industries are healthy, but tenants have persisted in curbing overall leasing patterns.”

View the current NAIOP Office Space Demand Forecast.

Posted on January 15, 2018

By: Jay Todisco