What common mistakes can you avoid in land development design and engineering?

After reviewing more than 10,000 real estate projects in Mexico and other countries, we have found that adequate market research to understand total demand, product requirements, purchase capacity, community integration and connectivity to services (retail, education, health, workplaces) is what makes a project commercially viable. .

In my experience, the most successful projects in the world are the ones that are solving a problem and catering to humans' needs. "purpose-driven projects." All the following steps must be covered as part of the due diligence phase: legal requirements, title, zoning, surveys, traffic studies, financial studies and appraisals, tenant/leasing strategy, and proper documentation.

My starting point in land development projects is the "idea". How can this project change people lives who will live in it, use it, live around it? Idea includes location, history, purpose of community or country. It can involve financial reasons, industrial/strategic reasons. Idea has to make sense and be marketable. The next question is the exact location. And due diligence comes into consideration at this stage. In my experience, I had reservoirs, bomb shelters and infrastructure within the land plot, which were not on the city drawings; simply neglected or due to security reasons.You should really put an innovative effort to investigate if the land has these kinds of constraints and/or hidden cost items - before acquisition

It's not precisely 'due diligence', but sometimes developers approach agency staff as adversaries, figuring they'll get what they want through political channels. I've worked both on the private side, and the public side. Staff knows the codes better than your consultants probably, so make them a team, learn from them. Don't treat them as stupid and unmotivated, many of them chose to get into public service instead of pursuing higher-paid careers in the private sector. Consider their goals, and their responsibility to the community, and take those into account.

Apart from all the textbook examples being cited, there are only two important aspects that come first: 1: is there a demand for the products you want to develop?(buyers / tenants (and therefore buyers) 2: Is the government cooperating to issue the necessary permits? If one those is negative, don't bother figuring out the rest.

I have found that reviewing the site in person and walkign the property before releasing survey, geotech or any other discipline is far more beneficial to the design process than trying to do all this from your desktop using Google Earth. Google Earth is a great tool, and we can't do our jobs without it, but it's not a substitute for a good old fashioned site visit. Google Earth imagery can be dated and also does not always paint a true picture of existing site conditions. Visiting a project site in person can help the design team avoid problems down the road.

Lsnd development is not alone restructuring physical dimensions of land The development must infuse life to the inhabitants. Must create a sense of belonging to the end users??. Must provide affordability economy in construction, mobility of people and happy and healthy environment. Ultimately it shall be liveable and lovable place

Site visit and walking in sight compulsory. Better to vosit early in the morning preferably. Enquire the local community about site and land owner

Having a program manager, or a well-seasoned project manager that understands the importance and contributions of each consultant, vendor or discipline is a must for a project. Similar to a conductor in a symphony, a good PM or Program Manager will conduct or orchestrate the team in way that the final individual pieces will appear seamless in the final product. They will know when to engage or leverage key teammates and when not to. This takes someone with experience and knowledge of each discipline's capabilities and limitations to pull off successfully.

The land development process is a multi-disciplinary process which requires a significant amount of coordination across disciplines. As the civil engineer, we will many times oversee the planning/engineering deliverables ahead of the building permit submittals. This requires a ton of coordination and experience through complicated processes at jurisdictions. Inexperience is the killer that will lead to poor coordination or improper understanding of the processes needed for approvals. You need a bit of experience with each discipline's skill set to understand how the whole puzzle comes together.

Important part of the coordination. Choosing a CM who will bring in a GC or choosing a GC who can also manage and coordinate the project can save a developer money and time. GC/CM track record must be verified and substantiated. A developer must do the research in building a team if they have not done so they can waste money and time. With all being said before, the EXIT is as important as the project, so getting and experienced realtor who has been involved in new construction and design is paramount. This Realtor must know the market and knows what works for clients in that market. So he comes in at the design stage with the architect. Realtor can help in the design to make sure the correct elements for eg. fixtures and room sizes etc.

One should always consider that there are a lot of hidden stakeholders in development process. Even people in your team may be tempted to package the project in more favorouble cover, diminishing the costs and risks while inflating the benefits. You can add to this list community leaders, politicians, bureaucrats, labor unions etc... who will benefit from the investment but have no stake in investment. It is necessary to check your assumptions with multiple independent sources before you commit to a businesss plan.

We do work in the Denver area where the typical development process takes 12-18 months to get permit for construction. We have developers from out of town used to much quicker timelines, and it's always imperative to set the appropriate schedule expectations immediately. "We have to get this foundation into the ground before the snow falls in 4 months" is a common refrain which is always important to correct with proper timing. The client may be upset in that moment, but I've found they always appreciate the honesty vs. unrealistic goals when dealing with financing/land costs.

In my experience, to achieve a realistic timeline in land development, it's essential to incorporate factors such as weather, material delays, and unforeseen contingencies into the project schedule. Accurate estimates for each phase and task should consider these variables. Monitoring progress and promptly adjusting the budget and schedule when issues arise is crucial, as it helps prevent budget overruns and missed deadlines. Adequate reserves and contingency plans further safeguard the project against unforeseen events, ensuring smoother and more reliable outcomes.

Quality control is not just about construction or design process…while important, an aspect that’s often overlooked is delivering on or exceeding plans and expectations. Your last project - no matter the size or what you’ve done before that one - is your reputation. The community, Neighbors, clients, municipalities, environmental agencies, contractors — all will form an opinion and if it’s not favorable, your next project may never get approved. Delivering on promises / expectations is imperative for long term sustainability and success in development. Those extra costs for bigger trees, added brick, details in many aspects might not “pencil” exactly as planned but they’ll be worth it in the long game.

An old boss once told me that the worst thing you can do in any deliverable is to have spelling errors. If you can't spend the 3 minutes it takes to complete a spell check before you submit, how am I supposed to trust that anything in the document was verified?

Holistic understanding of construction nuances. Designing a site without consideration for construction efficiency can lead to cost over runs, longer schedules, etc. Onboarding a contractor during the site design phase is key.

In planning large communities , not understanding the area needs of right of way, water and sewer plants, drainage ways and detention ponds, as well as set asides for schools

Here are a few points you might also want to consider: Improper Design Considerations: Inadequate attention to factors like accessibility, aesthetics, and community needs can lead to projects that are out of touch with the community and its goals. Overlooking Community and Public Relations: Neglecting to engage with the local community and address concerns can lead to opposition, project delays, or even litigation. Inadequate Environmental Considerations: Ignoring environmental sustainability and conservation principles can lead to negative impacts on the ecosystem and potential legal consequences.