The National Association of Realtors publishes On Common Ground twice yearly to focus on topics of Smart Growth, including enhancing the existing assets of a community, the long-term implications of various development patterns, and the fiscal impacts of these patterns.  The following issues focus on:

  • Sustainable Housing, including the need for affordable housing
  • The New Norm, which describes how the real estate market is evolving toward a new normal marked by growing urbanization, greater sustainability, and more transportation choices
  • Placemaking and Economic Development details the economic importance of place and how “placemaking” is being used as an economic development strategy.  Cities are finding that providing ap­pealing places where people can interact — parks, plazas, main streets, markets — can spur economic prosperity and jobs.
  • Megatrends for the Decade highlights changes in demographics and consumer behavior—characterized as a cultural and demographic shift away from suburban sprawl—that will impact transportation preferences and real estate market demands.