On Common Ground

In this issue of On Common Ground, we consider the role placemaking plays in economic development today. From celebrating the uniqueness of a place to bringing amenities such as food markets to make more complete walkable neighborhoods, placemaking is becoming a leading economic development strategy.

As has been well documented, the housing and community choices being made by two major demographic groups the just-starting-to-retire Baby Boomers, and the up-and-coming Millennials, who are now 14 to 32 years old will be driving consumer demand in the upcoming decadeS.

When the rst Earth Day was celebrated in 1970, environmental concerns focused primarily on addressing the pollution of air and water. Over the decades since then, the scope of environmental issues has expanded to include energy conservation, rising sea levels, extreme weather events, farmland preservation, and the multiple benefits to land, water, and air that come from reducing sprawl and providing alternative transportation options.

As the real estate market evolves toward a new normal marked by growing urbanization, greater sustainability, and more transportation choices, the recession may also be remembered as a tipping point for smart growth.

The tastes and attitudes of Generation Y, which represents today's 20-somethings and teenagers, will be what determines what gets built and sold. Environmental challenges that cannot be ignored, such as water shortages and more expensive energy, will also play a huge role in the next decade. Building communities for this new era will require business people as well as government regulators to adopt new strategies.

The Winter 2010 issue of On Common Ground focuses on this broad approach to “green”, an approach that encompasses the building, its surroundings and how our communities function. It is this holistic approach that is being recognized as the best way to conserve our resources and our planet, and is currently finding favor in the market.

The Winter 2010 issue of On Common Ground focuses on this broad approach to “green”, an approach that encompasses the building, its surroundings and how our communities function. It is this holistic approach that is being recognized as the best way to conserve our resources and our planet, and is currently finding favor in the market.