Which Role Suits You: Real Estate Developer VS City Developer
When it comes to work related to developing buildings or residential spaces in the city, most people think of condominiums in the city center or various housing projects, also known as Real Estate Development.
Recently, the term City Development has come to the fore. Superficially, this may seem to involve the development and construction of new buildings, similar to real estate development. We invite everyone to reexamine these two types of development to see how they differ and which role suits you best in propelling the city forward.
Residential Accommodations VS Systematic Urban Expansion
Cities are a major destination for emigration, a place of both high population density and high economic activity. Real estate developers contribute to the development of new buildings, which allows the city to accommodate existing needs and prepare for future demands, such as by developing residential neighborhoods in suburban areas with a growing population or shopping malls and commercial buildings in commercial districts.
However, in many cities worldwide, competition among real estate developers has led to the creation of new residential areas or suburbs outside the city, surrounded by agricultural land. This has resulted in fragmented urban areas or Urban Sprawl, leading to issues such as inadequate public transportation and land use misaligned with urban planning objectives.
To address these issues, City Development (also referred to as Urban Development) has emerged to focus on systematically planning infrastructure and allocating spaces within the city. This approach aims to enhance the long-term quality of life for urban residents by addressing existing problems and preparing for potential events in the future.
Personal Landownership VS the Grand Scheme of the City
Residential developments, whether undertaken by real estate developers or city developers, require design considerations that cater to the needs of their residents. This includes amenities such as parking lots, recreational areas, and relaxing green spaces. However, real estate developers will often create these amenities within the confines of their developments, such as sports clubs and facilities in residential communities or co-working spaces in condominiums.
On the other hand, city developers face significant challenges and responsibilities that extend beyond catering solely to the residents of a specific project. It involves engaging with the people, the environment, and our world at large.
City development encompasses urban planning, infrastructure development, transportation & logistics, and augmenting public spaces to address broader urban challenges. These challenges include issues such as traffic congestion, high living costs, energy shortages, environmental degradation, overflowing municipal waste, rapidly rising housing prices, mental health issues among urban populations, and social inequality due to resource scarcity. Solving these issues requires collaboration from various sectors, including the government, private sector, and civil society.
Adding Value to Land of Area VS Creating a Good Quality of Life
Even though both are related to new construction projects in the city, Real Estate Development primarily focuses on developing buildings or property to increase commercial value. This can involve purchasing land for new construction projects, renovation, remodeling, or repairing existing buildings to meet the needs of its residents.
The crucial skills of a real estate developer involve recognizing the potential of a location and assessing the financial viability of a project to transform the area into a valuable and profitable new development.
On the other hand, city developers aim to create a good quality of life. Developing a piece of land begins with surveying the surrounding area and understanding the living conditions of the people nearby. City developers look for what the city needs and how their development will make the neighborhood more livable (i.e., safer, more convenient, and more enjoyable), responding to the needs of the people as best as possible.
In addition to adapting to the context of the people, city developers must plan for the future and prepare the city to face new environmental challenges. This includes preparing areas to manage seasonal flooding and drought, developing new infrastructure to prepare for potential disease outbreaks, and addressing global climate change, which is a significant global issue today.
Therefore, a crucial skill of city developers is having vision — seeing a multitude of possibilities and envisioning a better future for the city.
Source:
https://www.ftpi.or.th/2015/2791#:~:text=การขยายตัวของเมือง,ขาดการวางแผนและควบคุม
https://www.archdaily.com/984049/what-is-urban-planning
https://focities.com/real-estate-development/
