Welcome to our quarterly newsletter where we update you on some of the exciting things we’ve been up to recently and invite you to get in touch! It has been quite the year so far, bringing us to communities near and far, from New England to Indiana and Virginia to Honolulu. We look forward to a summer of interesting work and we look forward to sharing what we learn in our next newsletter.
What we’ve been thinking about lately
As we build out our innovative analytics tools and work with our ever-interesting clients and collaborators, here’s a sampling of what we’ve been thinking about that you might find useful in your own work.
How housing demand and policy interact to shape the future
Future housing needs and production targets to optimize for its preferred future outcome influences how policy should be shaped to enable the growth, attainability, and land use mix envisioned by the community. Read more
Zoning for climate tech
We’re writing zoning that fosters the flexible growth of climate tech companies and aligns community objectives. These adjustments can integrate climate tech into municipalities and enable their world-changing missions. Read more
Calculating home ownership affordability
How much a household can afford to pay for housing depends on numerous factors, from mortgage rates to down payments to property tax rates. With the right variables accounted for, we can calculate housing affordability by income level. Read more
What we’ve been working on lately
In addition to the projects highlighted below, we’re working on several MBTA Communities zoning updates and are in the middle of creating housing plans for Alexandria, Virginia, Michiana Area Council of Governments (MACOG) and Kennebunk, Maine.
Honolulu Housing Plan
Since April 2024, CommunityScale and Abt Global have been in the process of developing a Housing Plan for the City & County of Honolulu. Read more
Sharing our housing needs assessment
Watch Jeff Sauser present to the City of Greenfield, including on issues like renters’ challenges, infill, ADUs, and downtown revitalization. Watch here
CommunityScale is an urban planning consultancy focused on helping communities across the country improve equity, economic mobility, and housing attainability. We provide a range of services and analytics products designed to help our clients make more informed and targeted decisions, including housing needs assessments and zoning policy.
Let’s talk! Grab some time on our calendar to learn more about us and how we can help your community.
