You may see a new world of possibilities if you sit down and have a meaningful discussion with an urban design consultant. For example, many cities around the country are facing the same challenge to one extent or another. Real estate is priced out of reach in certain areas, with professionals who do quite well being unable to buy a place to live. The same dynamic can apply to rentals.

According to a popular a real estate website, last year the median monthly rent for a one bedroom apartment in San Francisco was almost $3600, and the median for a two bedroom unit was over $4800. You may say that San Francisco is famously, or infamously, expensive, but the trend extends to big cities all over the country.

At the time of this writing in June of 2017, the median cost for a one bedroom rental in Chicago is $1790, and the number swells to $2260 for a two bedroom apartment. Remember, these are the medians, so rentals in prime neighborhoods will be up in the stratosphere.

We have mentioned a couple of large cities to this point, but people can often be priced out of safe neighborhoods with amenities in cities of all sizes. When property values are extraordinarily high, people look for solutions, and urban design consultants often provide them.

They say that necessity is the mother of invention, and urban design consultants are often called upon to apply their talents to transform dormant or underutilized areas to provide new, more affordable opportunities.

In addition to the residential aspect, there is also a commercial piece to the puzzle. Residents of a rejuvenated neighborhood need access to stores, restaurants, nightspots, service providers, public transportation, parks, etc. A well rounded urban design consultant will formulate a 360 vision that integrates all of these necessary components.

The urban design consultants here at ReTown have experience with each and every phase of the process, from site identification to the specific design to the financing. We can also coordinate all aspects of the building phase to bring the project to life, because we have relationships with architects, engineers, construction contractors, tradespeople, and landscape architects and designers.

We are here for you if you would ever like to speak with an experienced urban design consultant. You can always send us a quick message through our contact page, and we can be reached by phone at 708-442-4545.