How Can Property Developers Help to Create Sustainable Communities?

Housing developers are much more than business that build houses, they create communities. Creating communities means that people take pride in the place that they live, and from this pride engagement in the community is stimulated. All of these factors lead to community growth. Creating communities is fundamental to future housing development. However today we are here to look at what property developers can to create sustainable communities.

There are many different factors that need to come together to be able to create a sustainable community some of these are:

• Energy efficiency
• Community design
• Transportation
• Waste reduction
• Climate friendly purchasing

Sustainable communities in cities

In every new luxury apartment block that has been built there should be affordable housing nearby, this is at a minimum what developers should be doing to make cities more sustainable. However, affordable housing alone does not make a city sustainable.

Many developers are becoming much more creative, they’re actively looking to develop communities by creating cultural hubs and small wildlife reserves near the new developments. This is turning wastelands in the city into destinations that are popular.

Creating these spaces that are popular with people creates a community that is proud of the area in which they live and want to keep it a popular place. This creates a community that people want to engage with and improves the quality of life as well as the quality of the environment,

What sustainable living involves

As we have already touched on there are many different factors that creating a sustainable living environment relies on. But how exactly are property developers supposed to help create this? Well they could start by using renewable energy by adding solar panels to all new properties and blocks of flats. Developers can also offer secure bicycle parking and provide charging points for electric cars. Cutting fossil fuel usage in a community is a huge step in creating a sustainable community.

Property developers can also create a space where a community can grow their own food. Another more sustainable means of acquiring food would be to purchase it locally and seasonally. The distribution of food is another factor that needs to be taken into account, growing and buying food locally can cut fossil fuels used as the food is not distributed across the country or the world. In a new development, space can be created for local businesses so that people living in the area do not have to travel as far to buy food and other products.

Another factor that property developers need to take into consideration is waste, property developers will need to ensure that there are recycling banks for the community to use. More efficient toilets and showers can be built into the new developments. On the other hand, this mainly relies on the homeowner taking responsibility for how much water they use and how they throw away their rubbish. Property developers can guide homeowners to get rid of their waste in a responsible way by providing all of the recycling bins they will need and by making sure that they are easily accessible.

Downfalls of sustainable communities

There are many different benefits to sustainable living, but of course there are some downfalls that are involved. Creating a sustainable community can be more expensive for property developers, which can result in higher prices for property buyers and potentially higher stamp duty.However, this is often offset by the savings on bills for the property owners. A conveyancing solicitor will be able to discuss potential costs with you.

So, is it worth property developers creating sustainable communities?

In short, yes. There are many benefits to creating a sustainable community. The main benefit being the impact on the environment. There’s a sense of community when everyone is coming together to achieve one goal of being sustainable. This is something that everyone will be able to get behind and any effort that is put in can go a long way. Property developers are a huge part of helping a community become sustainable by creating buildings that are Eco-friendly and creating the infrastructure that allows people to live sustainable lives.