Urban Redevelopment Project Ideas

In the world of real estate investment, high-crime and blighted neighborhoods are often avoided. But what if I told you we turned one of Dallas's most dangerous areas into a prime investment opportunity? Here's how we did it: The Challenge Our target: a small pocket in North Oak Cliff, Dallas - one of the city's highest crime areas. Within a month of our first purchase, we witnessed a drug-related murder. Even the gang unit warned us away. But we had a plan. Our Strategy 1️⃣ Critical Mass: We knew one property wouldn't cut it. We started by acquiring 8 blighted apartment buildings from a single absentee seller, all at about 30% occupancy. 2️⃣ Selective Location: We focused on a strategic 3x5 block area, bounded by parks, the Trinity river, a highway, and schools. We couldn't fix all of Dallas, but we could transform this pocket. 3️⃣ Leveraging External Catalysts: ▪ Nearby Bishop Arts District development ▪ $1B+ in public infrastructure improvements ▪ $50M+ allocated for nearby schools ▪ 2018 Opportunity Zone designation The Execution ▪Intensive management and renovation of acquired properties ▪Expansion of holdings, leveraging outdated perceptions ▪Focus on making the area clean and safe - the bar was low, but the impact was high The Results Today, Bishop Ridge is a 23-project urban renewal effort under the Opportunity Zone tax structure: ▪16 renovations (424 units) ▪7 new builds (500+ units) Current progress: ▪14 renovated buildings (384 units) completed ▪1 new building (47 units) finished ▪4 more buildings (250 units) delivering soon We're not just developing property. We're cultivating a neighborhood. The Takeaway Success in real estate investment sometimes means seeing potential where others see risk. By starting with critical mass and being selective about location, we transformed a dangerous area into a thriving community and prime investment. Would this strategy work in your city? What other factors would you consider in urban renewal projects? #RealEstateInvestment #OpportunityZones

The decline of traditional shopping malls presents a unique opportunity for communities worldwide. Instead of viewing these vacant spaces as relics of the past, we should reimagine them as vibrant community hubs. Research shows consumers are increasingly seeking experiences over material possessions. This shift aligns perfectly with the potential of repurposed malls. One exciting example is the rise of Family Entertainment Centers (FECs) in malls across the globe. These centers cater to the growing demand for "eatertainment" – a blend of dining and entertainment. Imagine a mall transformed into a bustling FEC, featuring: - Interactive gaming zones and active play areas. - Themed dining experiences. - Cultural attractions celebrating local heritage. This model is gaining traction worldwide. In Asia, malls are incorporating karaoke rooms and themed cafes. In Europe, FECs often feature bowling alleys and cinema complexes. Studies have demonstrated the significant economic impact of a thriving mall on its surrounding area. Repurposing these spaces can revitalize local economies, create jobs, and increase property values. The strategic location of malls makes them ideal for community-focused initiatives. While FECs are a compelling example, the possibilities extend beyond entertainment. Malls can also be reimagined as: - Community centers. - Job training sites. - Healthcare facilities. - Educational spaces. - Mixed-use developments. By embracing these new models, we can transform empty malls into valuable assets that strengthen our communities. Let's move beyond the nostalgia of traditional retail and embrace the exciting future of these adaptable spaces. #urbanrenewal #communitydevelopment #repurposing #innovation #malls #consumerbehavior #economicimpact #location #FEC #globaltrends

Pocket Parks ++ [improving communities] Transforming vacant lots into green, accessible parks and community spaces is an innovative and impactful urban strategy that has gained momentum in cities worldwide. Notable examples, such as New York City’s initiatives to convert empty lots into pocket parks, demonstrate how targeted policies can revitalize neighborhoods, promote sustainability, and enhance residents’ quality of life. Ideas to foster cozy, vibrant neighborhoods. > Pocket Parks: Small parks that fit into tight urban spaces, providing greenery and recreational areas. > Community Gardens and Urban Agriculture: Spaces for residents to grow food, fostering local food security and community engagement. > Playgrounds and Gathering Spots: Facilities for children and community events, encouraging social cohesion. > Pop-up Parks and Temporary Installations: Using modular and mobile features to trial new spaces before permanent development. Benefits to Cities and Communities > Environmental Benefits: Urban Heat Island Mitigation: Green spaces reduce temperatures, making cities more comfortable during heatwaves. > Stormwater Management: Vegetation absorbs rainwater, reducing flooding and strain on drainage systems. > Air Quality Improvement: Plants filter pollutants, leading to cleaner air. > Enhanced Mental Health: Access to nature reduces stress and promotes well-being. > Physical Activity: Parks encourage exercise, combating obesity and related health issues. > Community Cohesion: Shared spaces foster social interactions, reduce crime, and build neighborhood identity. > Increased Property Values: Proximity to green spaces often boosts real estate prices. > Attracting Investment: Green neighborhoods appeal to residents and businesses. Policy and Implementation Strategies To successfully transform vacant lots, cities can adopt policies such as: Vacant Lot Registry and Acquisition: Identifying and acquiring parcels for redevelopment. Partnerships with Nonprofits and Private Sector: Leveraging resources and expertise. Additional Ideas for Creating Cozy, Vibrant Neighborhoods > Beyond pocket parks, other strategies include: Urban Agriculture Initiatives: Community gardens, urban farms, and permaculture projects that promote local food production and educational opportunities. > Green Corridors and Street Trees: Connecting parks with pedestrian-friendly pathways and planting trees along streets to enhance walkability and shade. > Pop-up Events and Markets: Using vacant spaces for farmers markets, arts festivals, or outdoor performances to activate neighborhoods.

Over the last 15 years, more than 1,200 U.S. golf courses have closed. That's thousands of acres of underused land hiding in plain sight, waiting for a new purpose. While some see a failing golf course as a problem, others see 168 acres of opportunity. Case in point: a 168-acre golf course in Virginia was on its last legs – and the team at cove saw it not as a loss, but as an opportunity to build something new and better. Using #AI-powered design, they mapped out a high-impact, low-footprint mixed-use community on the site. The twist? All the new development fits into just 3 acres (under 2% of the site), preserving 95% of the land as open space. In other words, nearly the entire course stays green while a vibrant new neighborhood takes root in one corner. So what does this look like in practice? The project offers: ◆ 15% IRR through layered incentives and program synergy ◆ Middle-income housing + civic programming as social infrastructure for the community ◆  EV charging, reduced parking ratios, and mobility-readiness, baking in future transit and electric mobility from day one ◆ Solar-ready, net-zero, passive systems for a truly sustainable design Bottom line: redeveloping underutilized land can align community needs, environmental goals, and developer returns. This isn’t just about one golf course in Virginia – it’s a blueprint for how we can turn obsolete spaces into high-value assets. It shows that housing, amenities, green space, and profit can actually coexist when we rethink the old formulas. While other developers overlook these idle fairways, forward-thinking teams will transform them into the next big wins – turning yesterday’s golf courses into tomorrow’s mixed-use goldmines. 👇 Check out the full case study: https://hubs.ly/Q03sy7mR0 #aiarchitecture #cove

What if our streets could become a place to play? One thing I am still struck by since leaving Mexico City is their series of interior trails within the right-of-way of boulevards and streets. Perhaps the most popular and well-known of these is the Hippodromo in Condesa – known as Avenida Amsterdam, this tree lined palisade is a mile loop that follows the path of a former horsetrack. As development at the turn of the 20th century ramped up, the city absorbed the Hippodromo and built around it. The avenue includes a central pedestrian median: richly planted, with trees, benches, and Art Deco features often referred to as a camellón. Cars naturally go slower due to the narrow one-way lanes and pedestrians hidden within the interior of the street itself. So, we at Proformus thought, hey, what would this sort of concept look like for other cities? Here in the United States, we have TONS of excess right-of-way that could easily be used for a median promenade. In thinking of how to create more child-friendly and age-friendly places, we wondered “what if our streets could encourage us to be outside?” Thus, we came up with the PlayWay. PlayWays are an internal treed promenade within streets that connect greenspaces, parks, and trails to each other. PlayWays could offer ample shaded seating opportunities, outdoor exercise equipment, and allow small vendors to peddle their sodas or wares. Think if the High Line was in the middle of a street rather than 20’ above it! Learn more about our PlayWay concept and how to incrementally approach it on our website link [https://lnkd.in/gb_RRMNR] What would make your streets more fun? #urbanism #architecture #urbanplanning #urbandesign #mexico #cities #development #playways #howtomakeplacesgo #incremental #buildingsmall #cnu #strongtowns #placemaking #redevelopment #realestate

The 23rd post in my "32 days of Case Studies in Retrofitting Suburbia" project. On the #homestretch! Case Study II.23: The Mosaic District, Merrifield, VA, USA The Mosaic District Mosaic District, built on the 31-acre site of a dead multiplex theater in an affluent suburb of Washington, DC, just outside the Beltway, is a compact "mosaic" of uses lining highly walkable streetscapes and an active town green anchored by a new arthouse cinema. Instead of strip malls designed to speed up transactions, Mosaic demonstrates the value of designing green mixed-use town centers for lingering and social experiences you can't get in the surrounding burbs or online. One primary goal in the LEED-ND Silver project was to intentionally design in a series of “third places” for people to gather and find community outside of home and work. EDENS leaders Jodie McLean and Bill C. Caldwell told us to urge every community and every developer to start by creating a gathering place, no matter how small. It might just be twinkling lights over picnic tables between two small businesses. If designed well, it can be the spark. Team: EDENS, RTKL, Nelsen Partners | Architects & Planners, House & Robertson Architects, MULVANNYG2 ARCHITECTURE, Fred Dagdagan, and Law Kingdon. Image: Mosaic District webpage on the Fairfax County Government Department of Planning and Development website; the primary gathering place Strawberry Park is in the foreground.   #RetrofittingSuburbia #urbandesign #urbandevelopment #regreening #reinhabitation #ImprovePublicHealth #DistruptAutomobileDependence #LeverageSocialCapitalforEquity ULI Australia Suburban Futures Mike Day Hatch | RobertsDay Ellen Dunham-Jones

What if we designed cities for people, not just cars? Lancaster, CA, is proving it’s possible—in just 8 months, they transformed a five-lane road into The BLVD, a pedestrian-friendly, tree-lined street that has become a model for urban revitalization. What did the transformation look like? Before: A five-lane thoroughfare dominated by cars, with vacant storefronts and limited community engagement. After: A pedestrian-friendly boulevard with a central "rambla" inspired by Barcelona, fostering a thriving downtown with increased foot traffic and economic growth. What’s great is that this wasn’t just an environmental benefit, it was also economic. The $11.5 million initial investment attracted $130 million in private investment and is estimated to generate $273 million in economic output within 4 years. By encouraging people to park once and explore on foot, the redesign has boosted community engagement and safety. Lancaster’s approach reflects the New Urbanism movement, prioritizing walkable, people-centered downtowns over suburban sprawl. Having lived in the Bay Area for nearly 10 years, there’s so much I love about the area — the public transit, the weather, and the people. But I see so much room for improvement. Lancaster’s development is a testament to the future of what cities can look like if we invest in sustainable urban design. I’m a huge fan of mixed-use developments to boost local economies (and imagine living above a local grocery store—no more lugging bags for blocks!). By making sure all stakeholders are involved in the planning, we can integrate green spaces and pedestrian-friendly infrastructure to create welcoming and useable public areas. Lancaster’s transformation proves that cities CAN be people-first, green, and economically booming. What would you change about your city? Drop your thoughts below! #UrbanRevival #CityDesign #SustainableCities #Placemaking #WalkableCities #UrbanPlanning #SmartGrowth

Could this be a blueprint for aging malls everywhere? What happens when an old shopping mall meets bold urban vision? In #Montreal’s east end, the iconic Place Versailles—once a cornerstone retail destination—is set for a $2.2 billion transformation. Over the next 25 years, the plan will replace the old mall with more than 5,000 housing units, including social housing, alongside new commercial spaces, a hotel, a school, and expansive parks. Sustainability is at the heart of the project, with green rooftops, ecological corridors, and rainwater management. This isn’t just about revitalizing a shopping center—it’s about reimagining urban landscapes for community, sustainability, and modern needs. Place Versailles could become a playbook for cities everywhere looking to repurpose aging retail spaces into vibrant, mixed-use #neighborhoods. https://lnkd.in/gYUjdvUx #UrbanDevelopment #SustainableCities #Montreal #RealEstate #MixedUse #AdaptiveReuse #Policy #CommunityPlanning #GreenInfrastructure #Cities #econdev

For a long time, I thought the only way to build was to start from scratch. But I’ve come to realize that sometimes, repurposing old buildings is the smarter, more sustainable option. It all started when I noticed how fast cities were growing and how much land and resources we were using. It hit me—why not make better use of the buildings we already have instead of constantly tearing things down? Of course, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Many of these older buildings needed a lot of work, and there were some big questions—Would it save money? Would people even like it? But we decided to give adaptive reuse a shot. Instead of demolishing, we started transforming old spaces into something new. We turned an old warehouse into office space and repurposed industrial buildings into community hubs. It was incredible to see how much potential there was in these structures that just needed a little creativity. The results? Way better than I expected. Not only did we save on resources and costs, but the projects felt more connected to the community. People loved the mix of history and modern upgrades, and reusing these buildings was a huge win for the environment, too. What I’ve learned? Sustainability in construction doesn’t always mean building from the ground up—it often means rethinking what’s already there. If you’re working on a project, take a second look at those old buildings. You might find more value in them than you think. So, if you’re in construction or urban development, I’d say give adaptive reuse a try. It’s a great way to create something new while preserving what’s already there.

Pedestrian alley redevelopment, Downtown Detroit. The opportunity to transform alleys in urban areas is all around us in our urban centers These typically dirty, odorous, unsightly spaces in cities can become exceptional places for people….with the right kind of design implementation It just takes a thoughtful design approach. Including some aesthetic changes, physical elements that enhance the area for pedestrians, a reorientation of the uses in the buildings, and some thoughtful logistical arrangements, like a rethinking of the enclosures for dumpsters and the use of compactors and other creative elements. Here are 3 examples (showing before and after concepts) all initiatives that my firm, Archive DS, worked on the design for in Downtown Detroit. Our approach was to reposition the negative public spaces into positive public People oriented places It all starts with recognizing the opportunity in an alley and then looking for Ways to transform it One key component is opening up the ground floor uses to the rear of the building, as well as the street front. And also Adding design elements like lighting, landscaping, signage, artwork, among other things. as always in urban design initiatives, creating synergy with multiple buildings and blocks is critical . Having projects that build on each other and collectively create a critical mass that energizes an overall place. This approach is being done in cities all over the world and we have seen some excellent successes in many places in recent years. I’ve been involved in designing, planning and implementing these alley transformations in multiple places including Detroit and Birmingham, Mi Alley transformation is just another example of how we can make negatives into positives in our cities. Turning overlooked places and elements of our urban condition into positives that bring joy to the users of a place. #thelakebelt #4seasoncities #lakebelt #wintercities #citybuilding #detroit #urbandesign #archiveds #archivedesignstudio #alleytransformation #lanewayspace