In the first half of today's episode, I had the pleasure of speaking
with a friend and colleague, Sam Day. Sam is an architect, urbanist, and infill developer based in Oklahoma City--a rare combination of someone designing buildings (architect), creating spaces with those buildings (urbanist), and actually facilitating them coming out of the ground, including buying land, figuring out financing, leasing up, etc
(development).
Sam is also very philosophical, and it's easy for us to talk for hours
and debate ideas. He is both an ideas guy and an executor, which is
another rare combo that leads to unique perspectives and conversation.
First we explore Sam's career trajectory, his first infill project of a
quad/4plex self financed with an FHA loan that he used as his primary residence (the development hack for those who don't have a ton of cash--a la R John Anderson and the Incremental Development Alliance).
We dive into the concept of missing middle housing, explore the various challenges small developers face in this sector, discuss creating vibrant community centers, the pros and cons of a land value tax, as well as what we mean by human scale and the magic of 3 and 4 story buildings (NOT 20+almost stories).
In part 2 we broach ideas like the difficulties in controlling land and
the financialization of real estate, and the potential transformation of suburbia through e-bikes and distributed shopping centers, envisioning a more connected and accessible community.
TAKEAWAYS
- Transitioning from architecture to development requires a diverse
skill set, including financial modeling and understanding zoning
regulations.
- Small developers, such as architects and tradespeople, are
well-positioned to address the missing middle housing gap.
- Implementing a land value tax can incentivize landowners to develop their properties more efficiently and discourage land speculation.
- Retrofitting suburbia requires careful planning and consideration of existing neighborhoods and infrastructure.
RESOURCES
https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuel-day
https://www.instagram.com/_sam_day/
https://www.wheelerdistrict.com/
CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction and Career Path
03:04 Becoming a Developer
08:05 The Concept of Missing Middle
17:06 Land Value Tax
25:01 Retrofitting Suburbia
36:26 Concerns about Land Value Tax
43:15 The Need for Solutions
47:12 The Future of Suburbia
48:40 Retrofitting Suburbia
50:17 Transfer of Development Rights
51:44 The Rule of 10,000
53:10 The Magic of Three-Story Buildings
54:43 Creating Centers in Suburbia
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The Building Culture Podcast