The study highlights high real estate costs as well as restrictive zoning regulations and building requirements that delay multi-family construction.
![Row of new contemporary rowhouses in Austin, Texas](/files/styles/featured_small/public/images/AdobeStock_434645971.jpeg.webp?itok=GgGVoNF2)
New studies from the University of Texas commissioned by the city of Austin reveal the causes of high housing construction costs in the city and propose solutions for reducing them, reports Ben Thompson in Community Impact.
“Among analysts' top findings were Austin's standout costs compared to other cities, as well as the competitive local cost of multifamily versus single-family development and the elevated price tag of construction on the west side,” Thompson adds.
With the cost of land and construction materials and labor rising, city regulations that add extra costs are more likely to make or break a project, according to the study. “Although the city has sought to speed up those processes for years, builders are still experiencing the effects of a slower system that can end up passing costs along to residents.”
Researchers also found that multi-family housing is the cheapest to build, but faces the most obstacles from local building regulations and zoning codes.
Recommendations for making housing construction faster and more affordable include: implementing zoning reforms that permits more housing types, reducing labor costs through workforce training, limiting regulatory constraints such as parking requirements, and improving incentive programs for affordable housing developers.
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Plan to Potentially Remove Downtown Milwaukee’s Interstate Faces Public Scrutiny
The public is weighing in on a suite of options for repairing, replacing, or removing Interstate 794 in downtown Milwaukee.
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‘Forward Together’ Bus System Redesign Rolling Out in Portland
Portland is redesigning its bus system to respond to the changing patterns of the post-pandemic world—with twin goals of increasing ridership and improving equity.
![Conceptual rendering of Rikers Island redevelopment as renewable energy facility](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/Screenshot%202023-08-23%20at%2011-49-44%20ARTICLE%20Green%20Future%20for%20Rikers.png.webp?itok=d6m2GusQ 1200w,
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Can New York City Go Green Without Renewable Rikers?
New York City’s bold proposal to close the jail on Rikers Island and replace it with green infrastructure is in jeopardy. Will this compromise the city’s ambitious climate goals?
![A rendering of the Utah City master planned, mixed-use development.](
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700-Acre Master-Planned Community Planned in Utah
A massive development plan is taking shape for lakefront property in Vineyard, Utah—on the site of a former U.S. Steel Geneva Works facility.
![A line of cars wait at the drive-thru window of a starbucks.](
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More Cities Ponder the End of Drive-Thrus
Drive-thru fast food restaurants might be a staple of American life, but several U.S. cities are actively considering prohibiting the development of new drive-thrus for the benefit of traffic safety, air quality, and congestion.
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Air Pollution World’s Worst Public Health Threat, Report Says
Air pollution is more likely to take years life off the lifespan of the average human than any other external factor, according to a recent report out of the University of Chicago.
Placer County
City of Morganton
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Dongguan Binhaiwan Bay Area Management Committee
City of Waukesha, WI
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Indiana Borough
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