Introduction Fig 1. Rendering of “The #Unignorable Tower.” Photo Credit: United Way Greater Toronto & Norm Li (Li, 2019) As it rises to become a formidable economy, Toronto faces a crucial time in its history. The problems of housing shortage and affordability have persisted in the past, but are now even more prevalent as the… Continue Reading Time for a Resurgence of Rental Apartments in Toronto
Category: Development
Construction Costs: On the Rise
The commercial real estate industry is currently riding the wave of the 11th year of its cycle, interest rates are continually getting cut, money is cheap to borrow, and cities are sprawling at a booming rate. With the recent appearance of traditional recessionary indicators, many cautiously optimistic professionals in the industry are wondering what may… Continue Reading Construction Costs: On the Rise
Student Housing in India – The Next Big Thing?
India, a country with one of the largest steadily growing economies in the world, is home to the second-largest student population pursuing post-secondary education. The current gross enrollment ratio (GER) in post-secondary education is 26.3% (Ministry of Human Resource Development, 2019). In addition, the Indian government has set a target to enroll 30% of the… Continue Reading Student Housing in India – The Next Big Thing?
The Emergence of Urban Innovation Districts
An evolving geographical pattern is taking place in cities, as companies from the innovation field have been nucleating around city cores. This phenomenon can best be described as the rise of the Urban Innovation Districts. Their recent emergence has had a direct impact on the local economies of cities, and an implication on the growing… Continue Reading The Emergence of Urban Innovation Districts
Second Chance for American Motels
The ubiquitous roadside motel – or at least the properties that host them – could find a new purpose in a starkly different America than the one in which they were conceived. Demographic shifts over the past several decades have made these properties largely irrelevant. The number of motels has declined from a peak of… Continue Reading Second Chance for American Motels
Tokenized Real Estate: Creating New Investing and Financing Channels Through Blockchain
In 2018, New York City-based asset management firm Elevated Returns completed a tokenized real estate offering for $18 million on the Ethereum blockchain. The asset was the St. Regis Resort in Aspen, Colorado. The high-profile property and the employment of an unusual fundraising method caught the attention of investors, fintech enthusiasts and blockchain communities. Not… Continue Reading Tokenized Real Estate: Creating New Investing and Financing Channels Through Blockchain
The Need for Land Value Capture in Infrastructure: The Case of the Tappan Zee Bridge
Public infrastructure has long been financed through direct government budgetary appropriation, grants, and government borrowing. The long-term debts have typically been repaid from revenues generated by the asset through user charges, or from the general taxing power of the government. With an increasingly high demand for infrastructure investments, and limited resources to achieve them, other… Continue Reading The Need for Land Value Capture in Infrastructure: The Case of the Tappan Zee Bridge
The Need for Privatized Student Housing
In today’s hyper-competitive college application process, student housing is a focus for many institutions of higher learning. The administrations and boards of trustees often believe that, by creating more attractive housing opportunities, they can improve their institution’s ability to attract and retain students and faculty residents. College housing preferences have changed drastically as students are… Continue Reading The Need for Privatized Student Housing
The Growth of Branded Residences
Residential buildings affiliated with popular brands have been around for quite some time. In today’s globalized market, however, they are seeing exponential growth, as wealthy individuals are looking for second homes. Today there are over 400 branded residences across the globe, accounting for over 55,000 units. The US is the largest market for branded residences,… Continue Reading The Growth of Branded Residences
California High Speed Rail – Sidetracked, but not the End of the Line
Last month, California Governor Gavin Newsom scaled back the California High Speed Rail (HSR) planned from Los Angeles to San Francisco due to budget and time overruns. The trimmed-down line will now run from Bakersfield to Merced – which was previously the Initial Operating Section (IOS) of the Bay-to-Basin alignment. With due respect to the… Continue Reading California High Speed Rail – Sidetracked, but not the End of the Line