Games

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Cities, Games, Urban Planning

Daniel Hertz, a senior fellow at City Observatory, wrote an article for The Atlantic describing what he learned about urban planning by playing computer games. He cites two specific games about building: SimCity and Cities:Skyline. Zoning, traffic, parking, public transportation, and growth are all challenges to be had in the games. Seemingly, left out are the human aspects: politics, diversity, income driven neighborhoods. These factors contribute to the richness of urban dwelling that the games don’t appear to incorporate.

If you don’t want to plan a city, you may want to try being President. Gene Billingsley, founder of GMT Games, has a board game in development called Mr. President, which will hopefully be available by late fall 2016. “Mr. President is a solitaire game that puts you in the shoes of the President of the United States, attempting to govern, with limited resources, in a complex and ever-changing world.”, according to Billingsley.

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Downtown Condos in Demand Across the Country

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Commercial Real Estate, Downtown Condos, Office Space

Downtown Ann Arbor condo developments are booming. Urban living is more desirable than ever all across the country. A recent NPR broadcast reports larger cities, that were once ghost towns on the weekends, are emerging as the new places that Millennials want to live and developers are altering their mindset from office developments to walkable residential community.

Some cities are turning vacant floors in office buildings or total office buildings into higher-end residential condos or apartments. Detroit, Michigan, Wilke-Barre, Pennsylvania, Cleveland, Ohio, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin have all had residential conversions and are experiencing an upturn in downtown living.

Detroit has numerous companies that have moved from the suburbs to downtown.

Office markets are improving, due in part to conversions pulling office space out of the market.

The largest age group living in cities is 25-34 followed by Baby Boomers who are finding it increasingly more attractive to live “downtown”.

Source: Crain’s Detroit

Source: Urban Milwaukee

Source: Cleveland.com

Source: Citizens Voice

 

Ann Arbor Parking Structure Upgrade

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Ann Arbor, Downtown Development Authority, Parking Structures

Ann Arbor’s parking structure at Fourth and William will be upgraded. The Downtown Development Authority approved approximately a $3.7 million contract with Spence Brothers who will be the main contractor. The DDA had approved $5 million for the project in 2014. The planned improvements are to replace stair and elevator tower along William, ground floor lobby area, new parking equipment, improved electrical system and new exterior signage. An additional 200 square feet is planned for each level.

A possible future project that would create a retail incubator space on the structure’s first floor has a projected cost of $2 million.

Source: The Ann Arbor News

Photo: Google Maps

Urban Land Institute’s Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2015 Report

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Cities, Commercial Real Estate, Real Estate Trends

The Urban Land Institute and PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers) have published their Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2015 forecast report.

This is a lengthy report but worthwhile to peruse.

Some points in “Chapter 1: Sustaining Momentum but Taking Nothing for Granted” are:

• Job growth will be in those cities that have an activity in the evening, the live-work-play experience
• During the next seven years watch whether millennials stay in urban centers or move to the suburbs
• Boomers actually set the trend of moving to urban areas
• Medical office use strengthening
• US labor force may face a worker shortage
• Technology is pushing the change of how space is used; focus on tech and media companies to lease office space, retailers are using the internet to drive consumers into stores
• US is not investing in its infrastructure, which will be a problem for real estate if it continue; public/private partnerships may help

“Chapter 2: Real Estate Capital Flows” indicates that for 2015 it may be better to be a seller than a buyer.

A few points in “Chapter 3: Markets to Watch”

• You have to pick the right market that will be sustainable
• Crowdsourcing is a movement to raise capital for real estate which may be subject to regulation in the future
• Equity and debt investors are moving ahead, carefully
• Capital will continue to flow in more markets in 2015
• Dollars invested in tertiary markets continue to grow
• Due to rising labor costs overseas, US manufacturing is coming back

“Chapter 4: Property Type Outlook”, provides an in-depth look at these property types: Industrial, Hotels, Apartments, Retail, Offices, & Housing.

Seeing City Spaces as Opportunities

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Ann Arbor, City Planning, Public Spaces, Washtenaw Ave

ReImagine Washtenaw wants to transform the Washtenaw Avenue Corridor and has a vision and plan to make it possible. They are concentrating on three areas that most need transformation:  Place-Making, Economics and Safety.  Nathan Voght, project manager for ReImagine Washtenaw, describes Places “are where you enjoy being, whether you have to be there or not.” Economics along the Avenue are about creating more jobs as a result of being a place where people want to be. Safety will involve being able to safely cross and walk along the corridor as well as room for bicyclists.

Urban Planner, Amanda Burden, was chief city planner under New York City’s Bloomberg Administration, in her TED talk: How public spaces make cities work, she sees open spaces in cities as opportunities. Good public spaces can enhance commercial investment.

Source: Concentrate Media

Source: TED Talks