projects-OLD.csv

proj,placedesc,centroid,lat,long,desc,link,service
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Wakefield 3A Comms,"Wakefield, MA","Wakefield, MA",42.5018307,-71.0750488,,"Wakefield, MA",Zoning
"Upper Arlington, OH Housing Market Study","Upper Arlington, OH","Upper Arlington, OH",40.0252111,-83.0574468,"City of Upper Arlington Housing Market Detailed Analysis
April 17, 2025
The information in this detailed housing market analysis is intended for the City to evaluate policies and programs that seek to grow the City responsibly and increase housing options for residents, whether they are forming a new household in Upper Arlington, entering as a new resident, or looking to remain in Upper Arlington through various life stages. This study provides a review of demographic trends, comparable communities, regional influences, and a quantitative deep dive into issues that shape the housing market. The analysis is grounded by interviews with stakeholders such as single-family and multifamily housing developers, regional and local government staff, and housing advocates, as well as an online survey with more than 700 responses.


New homes in Upper Arlington generate municipal revenue exceeding service costs, thus providing a net positive impact on municipal finances. The break-even assessed value per unit is approximately $619K, current market values for new construction easily surpass. The marginal cost to serve a new home in Upper Arlington is a function of services that need to scale with new demand but are not inherently covered by their own fees. Police, fire, EMS, and Parks and Recreation are funded by the City’s general revenue, whereas other services like waste, water, and sewer are covered by fees connected to those services. These expenses are then balanced by revenues from property tax, income tax for work-from-home, and ongoing revenue positive building permit fees for redevelopment and renovation.


As cities grow, the cost of providing essential services per household decreases because the new homes leverage existing infrastructure and distribute expenses such as police, fire protection, and parks across more households. More precisely, the relationship between growth and overall expenses is nonlinear as cities achieve 15% efficiency gains in infrastructure and service provision. Larger cities can provide essential services like police, fire protection, and parks at a lower per-unit cost due to these economies of scale. For Upper Arlington, a 9.8% increase in housing units from 2025-2050 as forecasted by MORPC’s Metropolitan Transportation Plan would only require about 8.2% additional resources. This economy of scale effectively reduces the break even point for revenue from new homes for Upper Arlington.

Access the project’s landing page and detailed housing forecast.","Upper Arlington, OH",Housing
"Stowe, VT Housing Needs Assessment","Stowe, VT","Stowe, VT",44.4654332,-72.6874023,,"Stowe, VT",Housing
"Sherborn, MA MBTA Communities Zoning","Sherborn, MA","Sherborn, MA",42.2389857,-71.3697813,"CommunityScale supported the Town of Sherborn compliance with Massachusetts’ MBTA Communities zoning mandate with a multifamily zoning overlay. CommunityScale created an overlay map, authored compliant zoning language, managed communications with staff and boards, and prepared the state’s capacity calculator and GIS shapefiles. 

Using the state’s compliance model, we built three mapping scenarios and presented them at a June community workshop. By the end of the evening an emerging consensus favored a compact district that followed parcel lines, included half of the Kendall Avenue right-of-way, and avoided flood-prone acreage along the Charles River headwaters.

The zoning text embeds the fifteen-unit-per-acre requirement. Importantly, CommunityScale created a density protection clause that states that no other by-law could be interpreted to reduce base density, and it empowered the Planning Board to waive conflicting standards.","Sherborn, MA",Zoning
"Saugus, MA MBTA Phase 2","Saugus, MA","Saugus, MA",42.4582875,-71.0238623,Not_applicable,"Saugus, MA",Zoning
Saugus GLAM,"Saugus, MA","Saugus, MA",42.4582875,-71.0238623,Not_applicable,"Saugus, MA",Consulting
Saugus 40B,"Saugus, MA","Saugus, MA",42.4582875,-71.0238623,Not_applicable,"Saugus, MA",Housing
Saugus 3A,"Saugus, MA","Saugus, MA",42.4582875,-71.0238623,Not_applicable,"Saugus, MA",Zoning
"Richmond, RI Housing Needs Assessment","Richmond, RI","Richmond, RI",41.4944764,-71.6708363,,"Richmond, RI",Housing
Regional Housing Study Dashboard,"Franklin County, MA","Franklin County, MA",42.530599,-72.6151169,,"Franklin County, MA","Housing, Digital products"
Northern Kentucky Regional Housing Data Analysis,"Northern Kentucky, KY","Covington, KY",39.0836712,-84.5085536,Not_applicable,"Covington, KY",Housing
Northern Kentucky Housing Strategies,"Northern Kentucky, KY","Covington, KY",39.0836712,-84.5085536,"Home for All: Northern Kentucky Housing Strategies
January 15, 2025
Press coverage: NKY Tribune, LINK nky, Cincinnati Enquirer, WCPO, Fox19

Read the full report at HousingNKY.org
CommunityScale had the privilege of working closely with the Northern Kentucky Area Development District (NKADD), Brighton Center, and dozens of local partners to develop Home For All: Northern Kentucky Housing Strategies.

Aligning job growth and housing
One of the most striking trends we encountered as we began this engagement was the robust job growth throughout Northern Kentucky’s eight-county region (Boone, Campbell, Carroll, Gallatin, Grant, Kenton, Owen, and Pendleton). From large logistics operations near the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport to expanding healthcare and tech positions in urban cores, employers are hiring. Yet, as noted in the 2023 Northern Kentucky Housing Study, this growth has outpaced the area’s current supply of homes.

Defining the needs
The study reported that the region needs an additional 6,650 new homes over five years to keep up with economic growth (see WXIX coverage). These homes must be aligned with the full range of incomes and life stages: from young professionals looking for an affordable condo to older adults who want to downsize while staying near family. Our role at CommunityScale was to help local stakeholders translate these findings into action-oriented solutions.

Stakeholder engagement
In our consulting work, one principle stands out: Strong solutions spring from strong conversations. We facilitated sessions with more than 90 civic and business leaders—people working in real estate, economic development, government offices, and nonprofits. Many of them graciously shared their time and insights during workshops, data walks, and review sessions. They brought forward the unique housing challenges faced in both urban corridors and rural areas.

Data-informed, locally driven
From day one, we aimed to balance quantitative data with qualitative expertise. The Northern Kentucky Housing Data Study gave us a baseline for the gaps to fill—especially the “missing middle” homes priced for moderate-income workers. Then, ongoing community meetings and surveys revealed how older adults, first-time buyers, and a variety of local employers all experience Northern Kentucky’s housing dynamics differently.


Boone County Judge/Executive Gary Moore (center at the dais) with other regional leaders speak at the event at the Northern Kentucky Area Development District’s office in Florence on Jan. 14, 2024. Photo by Nathan Granger | LINK nky
Top strategies in the Home For All report
A flexible “menu of strategies”
Rather than a prescriptive plan, Home For All functions as a menu: 50 strategies that communities can adapt based on local capacity, priorities, and resources (report available at HousingNKY.org). Below are just a few highlights we believe could make an immediate impact:

Proactive code enforcement: Many of Northern Kentucky’s older neighborhoods have vacant or deteriorating homes that could be saved and returned to the market. Cost-effective code enforcement helps preserve existing homes and prevents demolition by neglect.
Missing middle housing strategy: Demand for townhomes, duplexes, and cottages frequently outpaces supply. Streamlined regulations and creative zoning can lower development costs and attract builders interested in these vital home types.
Expedited permitting: In a growing region, time is of the essence. By coordinating more closely with planning commissions and building departments, localities can help cost-conscious developers increase their pace without compromising safety.
Regional housing trust fund: If established, such a fund could issue grants or forgivable loans that encourage income-aligned development and preserve affordability. Other cities that use this model have successfully scaled new home construction, adding more entry-level purchase options.
Small developer support: Many smaller builders left the industry after the 2008 recession. By offering training, tailored financing, or technical assistance, local officials can jump-start the creation of missing middle homes and spur more competition in the market.
In addition, the report highlights strategies like incentives for landlords who accept Housing Choice Vouchers and a “landlord property inventory” system to help match available rentals with tenants quickly. These recommendations underscore that addressing local needs requires public, private, and nonprofit sectors to work in tandem.


Tara Johnson-Noem
Executive Director
Northern Kentucky Area Development District

“Home for All is the culmination of a year’s worth of work involving more than 90 community leaders and experts who devoted countless hours to addressing the region’s urgent housing needs. The goal is to close the housing gap across income levels to ensure our children have somewhere to live in our region when they leave home, that our parents can afford to downsize if they wish, and that our teachers and first responders have somewhere to live within a reasonable drive of their workplace.” (nkytribune.com)

How communities can use these insights
Crafting local policy
Each county or municipality has its own set of opportunities and constraints. Boone County leaders, for instance, might prioritize encouraging “downsize-friendly” homes for retirees, while rural counties might focus more on addressing the distance between existing homes and employment centers. The idea is for local governments to pick relevant options from the menu and tailor them.

Bolstering economic development
We often say that “homes are where jobs sleep at night.” Site selection experts advise businesses to look closely at a region’s housing stock before bringing new operations to town. By taking on more of these strategies—improving the number of diverse homes and simplifying the path to development—Northern Kentucky can more effectively recruit employers, ranging from logistics companies to tech startups.

Partnering with the private sector
One strategy we encourage municipalities to explore is forging partnerships with local employers who see housing costs and availability as a top concern. Employers benefit by retaining workers who can live closer to the job site. With the help of philanthropic grants or a newly formed regional housing trust fund, local entities could launch pilot projects near large employment hubs.","Covington, KY",Housing
"North Attleboro, MA Zoning Study","North Attleboro, MA","North Attleboro, MA",41.9828721,-71.3288956,"With Stantec, CommunityScale is working with the Town of North Attleboro to update their downtown zoning, add a mixed-use overlay to their primary commercial corridor, and bring the town into compliance with the MBTA Communities law.


Gil Hilario
Town Planner
Town of North Attleboro

“Jeff Sauser and Nels Nelson helped North Attleboro develop an innovative mixed-use overlay district with subdistricts that vary depending on the character, location, and strategic long-term planning for the Town. The mixed-use overlay bylaw is intended to move from a waning commercial market and adapt to future economic trends. They used impressive mapping tools and data to craft a bylaw with new lot dimensions and zoning rules for economic hubs and mixed-use style development.”","North Attleboro, MA",Zoning
"North Attleboro, MA Downtown Plan","North Attleboro, MA","North Attleboro, MA",41.9828721,-71.3288956,,"North Attleboro, MA",Housing
North Attleboro 3A,"North Attleboro, MA","North Attleboro, MA",41.9828721,-71.3288956,Not_applicable,"North Attleboro, MA",Zoning
"Middletown, RI Housing Needs Assessment","Middletown, RI","Middletown, RI",41.5218243,-71.2834538,,"Middletown, RI",Housing
"Middletown, RI Economic Development Element","Middletown, RI","Middletown, RI",41.5218243,-71.2834538,,"Middletown, RI",Housing
Michiana Area Regional Housing Study,"Michiana Area, IN","Elkhart, IN",41.6873832,-85.973517,,"Elkhart, IN",Housing
"Melrose, MA Rezoning","Melrose, MA","Melrose, MA",42.4547874,-71.06547,"CommunityScale, Levine Planning Strategies, and Blatman, Bobrowski, Haverty & Silverstein, LLC worked closely with the Melrose City staff and Planning Board to complete a comprehensive recodification of the city’s Zoning Ordinance. This collaboration modernized and streamlined Melrose’s zoning laws to reflect the community’s current and future needs. The team reorganized and rewrote the existing zoning ordinance to align with state laws, encourage the development of diverse housing types, and support the preservation of Melrose’s architectural heritage. 

Key accomplishments of the project included restructuring the zoning code for improved clarity and accessibility, removing redundant and conflicting regulations, and updating the code to comply with current state laws and court decisions. The recodification also streamlined processes by moving certain requirements, such as site plan review and special permit criteria, to separate regulations documents. The team engaged with stakeholders through multiple meetings with city staff and the Planning Board to gather feedback and ensure the recodified ordinance met the city’s needs.

The City Council voted to adopt the recodified zoning ordinance on October 21, 2024. The adopted zoning can be accessed here.","Melrose, MA",Zoning
Malden MBTA Communities Zoning,"Malden, MA","Malden, MA",42.4250964,-71.066163,"Our team worked with the Malden staff and City Council to respond to the MBTA Communities requirements, including several iterations of zoning, an extensive community survey process, public meetings, an Economic Feasibility Assessment for Inclusionary Zoning, and a mandatory mixed use subdistrict. The City of Malden is one of the twelve rapid transit communities that had to demonstrate zoning compliance with the new law no later than December 31, 2023.

Find more information on the City’s website.","Malden, MA",Zoning
Malden legacy STN,"Malden, MA","Malden, MA",42.4250964,-71.066163,Not_applicable,"Malden, MA",Zoning
"Lynn, MA Rezoning","Lynn, MA","Lynn, MA",42.4697809,-70.9569024,"CommunityScale authored a complete rezoning of the City of Lynn with Levine Planning Strategies, led by Jeff Levine, and BBHS Law, led by Jonathan Silverstein. The zoning rewrite was adopted unanimously by the Lynn City Council on June 24, 2025.

The rewrite focused on translating the City’s vision into a practical and effective zoning framework. A technical audit at the outset revealed that just 4% of Lynn’s residential parcels actually complied with the old code. The new ordinance corrects that mismatch, delivers a user-friendly structure, and supports twenty-first century economic, housing, and sustainability goals.

What Changed and Why It Matters
Predictable approvals replace use variances. Stakeholders told the City that routine projects often require variance for land use and dimensional relief, which created an unpredictable process for owners and residents. The new ordinance eliminates use variances altogether and updates the use and dimensional table to reflect the reality on the ground and the community’s vision. When a proposal needs discretionary review, the elected City Council now holds that authority through a clear special-permit process with written criteria, giving both neighbors and applicants a shared understanding of what counts.

Right-sized dimensional rules calibrated to real neighborhoods. Front setbacks, lot widths, height limits, and coverage ratios were rebuilt using block-by-block data. Triple-deckers, duplexes, and other long-established building types finally fit the rules. Homeowners and builders can now create infill housing at a scale that matches the existing neighborhoods.

Downtown ground-floor standards promote active streets. A new rule clarifies exactly where and how commercial space must occupy the first story along specified corridors. The requirement focuses on high-foot-traffic blocks and exempts quieter edge streets.


A simplified zoning map. Five residential districts have been trimmed to four. Outdated zones were retired while new mixed-use districts (M1 and M2) line Market, Washington, and Central Streets to create room for both housing and modern commercial space. These changes steer growth to logical corridors and nodes as identified in Vision Lynn.


A modern use table for a modern economy. Biotech labs, clean manufacturing, artisanal production, and breweries are explicitly addressed.

Read more about CommunityScale’s approach to functional zoning use groups.

Housing Opportunity
The rewrite preserves Lynn’s 2022 inclusionary-zoning mandate and changes the ability to deliver infill housing:

Accessory dwelling units are now allowed by right.
Dimensional tweaks let duplexes and triple-deckers fit in existing infill lots.
Rebuild grace period for nonconforming structures after a disaster is extended from one year to three, giving owners time to secure financing and permits without losing rights.
Adaptive reuse of legacy buildings now has a clear path to covert to residential while contributing to historic preservation. Former mills, schools, other commercial buildings, and large pre-1965 residences can be converted to two or more dwellings by special permit.
A Community-Driven Process
Mayor Nicholson emphasized transparency throughout. The planning team produced an interactive map, videos, and infographics. A multilingual survey and a six-week public-comment period generated formal comments, many of which prompted adjustments and clarifying definitions. A cross-departmental working group drew members from Law, Inspectional Services, EDIC, the Planning Board, the Zoning Board of Appeals, and three City Councilors.


Mayor Jared C. Nicholson
City of Lynn, MA
Comment from the zoning adoption hearing

“The document is a result of extensive public input process that included multiple surveys, community presentations, office hours, videos, and a formal public comment period. A 21st century zoning ordinance will help us achieve our vision for the community for the kind of growth that we’re looking for in jobs and neighborhoods and make the process more predictable, which benefits everyone.”

Lynn now has a zoning framework that matches the reality on the ground, encourages balanced growth, and is easy for residents and investors to understand. The City can attract private investment, expand its commercial tax base, and add diverse housing choices while giving residents confidence that change will be guided by transparent, predictable rules.","Lynn, MA",Zoning
"Lynn, MA ADU study","Lynn, MA","Lynn, MA",42.4697809,-70.9569024,Not_applicable,"Lynn, MA",Zoning
"Lancaster, MA Housing Production Plan","Lancaster, MA","Lancaster, MA",42.4534026,-71.6734538,"Client	Town of Lancaster, Massachusetts
Partner	Levine Planning Strategies
Services	Housing study, Dashboard
Timeline	April – November 2024
Deliverable	Housing Production Plan
The Lancaster Housing Production Plan (HPP) for 2024-2029 provides an updated roadmap to enhance affordable housing options in the town. Building on the foundation set by the 2019 HPP, this new plan focuses on achieving the state’s goal of more than 10% affordable housing units. The plan includes a needs assessment based on demographic analysis and market trends, which identify pressing housing challenges, such as housing attainability and cost burdens for residents. Additionally, the plan outlines the importance of meeting the housing needs of growing income groups, particularly the 30-60% AMI category, and accommodating Lancaster’s aging population.

What is a Housing Production Plan?
By state statute MGL Chapter 40B, cities and towns are required to provide more than 10% of their total year-round housing units as deed-restricted Affordable Housing. Affordable Housing is deed-restricted housing that eligible low- and moderate-income residents can afford by paying no more than 30% of their annual household income. Lancaster has 3,053 housing units, per the 2022 Census ACS 5-Year estimate, of which 188 (or about 6.2%) are deed-restricted Affordable Housing units on the state’s Subsidized Housing Inventory (SHI).

The number of households in Lancaster has been growing at a rate of 2.3% a year since 2010

Digital report
CommunityScale created an open source report dashboard to outline the plan's objectives and priorities, share key observations and findings about the local housing landscape, and highlight recommended strategies to increase housing production and address affordability challenges. Learn more about our digital products.


Crafting strategies
We worked with the client and Levine Planning Strategies to create five housing goals and a suite of regulatory changes and local programs to address affordability.

The plan's actionable strategies include zoning changes, town land disposition, and an increase in the Community Preservation Act rate. Through community engagement initiatives, Lancaster has identified support for flexible zoning and smaller homes while preserving neighborhood character. Public utility expansions and increased Affordable Housing Trust funding are additional recommendations, ensuring that Lancaster has the infrastructure and financial tools to support the anticipated housing demand. This HPP emphasizes a proactive approach to affordable housing, designed to align with broader community objectives of economic growth, sustainability, and inclusivity.","Lancaster, MA",Housing
"Kennebunk, ME Housing Action Plan","Kennebunk, ME","Kennebunk, ME",43.384549,-70.5436464,"Kennebunk Housing Needs Plan
November 1, 2024
Client	Town of Kennebunk, Maine
Partner	Levine Planning Strategies
Timeline	June – October 2024
Deliverable	Housing Needs Plan
The Kennebunk Housing Needs Plan (2024-2034) addresses the pressing demand for diverse, affordable housing solutions in Kennebunk, Maine. The plan profiles the local community’s people and housing stock, establishes an approach to meeting projected demand, and recommends strategies for new housing to meet expected need through 2034.


Projected household income distribution based on past trends
With a projected addition of 50 households annually over the next decade, the plan established a housing production target to ensure balanced growth across income levels, particularly focusing on workforce housing in the 60-120% AMI range for essential workers in health, education, and public safety.

Who is eligible for affordable housing?
Who is eligible for affordable housing?
To accommodate these households, Kennebunk will prioritize housing production near the three village centers, aligned with the town’s Climate Action Plan to steer development away from climate hazard zones and enhance the community’s resilience.

The plan outlines several targeted strategies, including updating zoning laws, expanding affordable housing subsidies, and leveraging state funding to support attainable housing options.","Kennebunk, ME",Housing
"Honolulu, HI Comprehensive Housing Plan","Honolulu County, HI","Honolulu County, HI",21.400298,-158.0477509,"CommunityScale developed a Housing Plan for the City & County of Honolulu with support from Abt Global. Read the press release and download the final plan.


The plan focuses high density housing around the rail system on the southern side of the island with neighborhood-scale infill housing around the island’s other communities.
As part of its commitment to tackling Honolulu’s housing challenges, the City is taking a proactive approach to addressing the housing shortage by:

Partnering with developers to activate underutilized public lands
Exploring innovative financing strategies to unlock new resources
Centralizing housing functions to streamline development, finance, and policy efforts—enabling faster project delivery and improved coordination of housing initiatives
Key initiatives of the Strategic Housing Plan include:

Expanding Transit-Oriented Development (TOD): The Skyline rail system presents an unprecedented opportunity to create high-density, mixed-use communities along its nearly 20-mile route. Concentrating growth in the Primary Urban Center, TOD corridors helps preserve rural areas while integrating housing, offices, retail, education, and government services. This approach reduces commute times, lowers transportation costs, and supports Honolulu’s sustainability goals.
Activating the Kūwili Station TOD Redevelopment Area: The Kūwili Station area presents a transformative opportunity for an underserved community. The City and State’s land holdings in this area will help improve connectivity, address environmental concerns, and mitigate flood risks. The Strategic Housing Plan builds off of the Downtown Neighborhood TOD Plan, which was created after almost a decade of extensive community engagement and input. The plan envisions thousands of housing units within a vibrant mixed-use district, backed by $2.7 million in federal and state grants for infrastructure and master planning.
Accelerating Housing Development: The City is leveraging underutilized public lands and streamlining procurement processes to expedite partnerships with local developers. An example of this success is Parkway Village at Kapolei—a mixed-use development on City-owned land featuring 401 housing units and two on-site preschools—completed in just over a year through effective public-private collaboration.
Enhancing Housing Finance Strategies: Existing funding sources for affordable housing, including General Obligation Bonds, Private Activity Bonds, and the Affordable Housing Fund (Ordinance 7-19), are limited. The City is committed to exploring new financing strategies that will expand resources and create additional opportunities for housing development.
Reorganizing Housing Functions: For nearly three decades, the City has lacked a centralized housing department. As announced in Mayor Blangiardi’s 2024 State of the City address, the City plans to consolidate its housing programs under the proposed Department of Housing and Land Management (DHLM). This restructuring will improve efficiency, accelerate project delivery, and enhance coordination of housing initiatives.","Honolulu County, HI","Housing, Digital products"
"Greenfield, MA Housing Plan","Greenfield, MA","Greenfield, MA",42.587915,-72.5994104,,"Greenfield, MA","Housing, Digital products"
"Greenfield, MA ADU Study","Greenfield, MA","Greenfield, MA",42.587915,-72.5994104,,"Greenfield, MA",Housing
"Gardendale, AL Housing Needs Assessment","Gardendale, AL","Gardendale, AL",33.6601033,-86.8127702,,"Gardendale, AL",Housing
"Fall River, MA Housing Plan","Fall River, MA","Fall River, MA",41.70139,-71.155229,,"Fall River, MA",Housing
Everett task 300 legacy STN,"Everett, MA","Everett, MA",42.40843,-71.0536625,Not_applicable,"Everett, MA",Zoning
Everett Rezoning,"Everett, MA","Everett, MA",42.40843,-71.0536625,"CommunityScale is managing the complete rezoning of Everett, Massachusetts, along with project partners Stantec’s Urban Places and BBHS Law.

The goal of the initiative is to modernize the code while meeting the mayor’s vision of a walkable, mixed-use environment. Over the course of the next year, we will work with the City to address issues including mobility, outdated code, new land use, revising the zoning map, planning for economic development, and updating stormwater management.

Photos are courtesy of Mystic River Watershed Association. Photo by David Loutzenheiser.
Photos courtesy of Mystic River Watershed Association, by David Loutzenheiser.

We’ll keep this page up-to-date as this exciting and important project progresses.


Matthew S. Lattanzi, Esq.
Director Planning and Development
City of Everett, Massachusetts

“The City of Everett has collaborated with CommunityScale’s team members on several pivotal planning projects. From zoning to design to analysis, CommunityScale has consistently brought innovative solutions to the table. Their professionalism, responsiveness, expertise, and visionary approach have been a driving force supporting the City’s success.”","Everett, MA",Zoning
Everett 40B Safe Harbor,"Everett, MA","Everett, MA",42.40843,-71.0536625,Not_applicable,"Everett, MA",Housing
Eastside District Housing Study,"Indianapolis, IN","Indianapolis, IN",39.76909,-86.158018,,"Indianapolis, IN",Housing
Duxbury Multifamily Zoning 3A,"Duxbury, MA","Duxbury, MA",42.0393842,-70.6717028,,"Duxbury, MA",Zoning
"Downtown Syracuse, NY Housing Study","Syracuse, NY","Syracuse, NY",43.0494832,-76.1473977,"Downtown Syracuse Housing Needs Assessment and Market Study
July 16, 2025
In early 2025, the Downtown Committee of Syracuse engaged CommunityScale to lead a comprehensive Housing Needs Assessment and Market Study to guide future housing development strategies for Downtown Syracuse. This project responds to the area’s increasing momentum: a resurgent downtown, a growing population, and transformative projects such as Micron’s regional investment and the impending I-81 viaduct removal.


CommunityScale worked closely with Downtown Syracuse staff to deliver a data-driven, context-sensitive analysis of current conditions, market dynamics, and projected needs over a 5-10 year horizon. The process included robust stakeholder input with local employers, developers, residents, nonprofit leaders, and policymakers to ground recommendations in both community insight and market realities.

The study highlighted Downtown Syracuse’s evolving role as the region’s residential core. Key findings included:

Strong residential market demand, with an estimated market potential for approximately 176 new units per year supported by projected population growth and Downtown’s appeal to younger householders and newcomers.
A predominance of demand for smaller rental units, especially studios and one-bedrooms priced between $1,500 and $2,000 per month.
A growing demographic profile, driven primarily by householders aged 25-44, with half of new residents moving from outside Onondaga County.
Favorable policy conditions, including ReZone Syracuse’s flexible MX-5 zoning which supports dense residential development with minimal regulatory barriers.
The study provided a clear-eyed market benchmark by comparing Downtown Syracuse to peer neighborhoods in Syracuse and other upstate cities such as Rochester and Buffalo. It also examined how transformative regional initiatives like the Micron facility and the I-81 Community Grid will unlock new development opportunities and drive housing demand.

CommunityScale developed a custom, interactive online dashboard that visualizes key metrics and makes the findings accessible to a broader audience. These tools equip the Downtown Committee, developers, and other stakeholders with actionable insights for near-term and long-term planning, investment decisions, and policy alignment.

Ultimately, the Downtown Syracuse Housing Needs Assessment and Market Study charts a path forward for continued residential growth in Downtown, ensuring that future development responds to emerging market trends while strengthening Downtown as a vibrant, livable, and inclusive urban neighborhood.

Learn more:
Downtown Syracuse Housing Needs Assessment and Market Study Dashboard","Syracuse, NY",Housing
"Downtown Providence, RI Housing Market Study","Providence, RI","Providence, RI",41.8245558,-71.414199,,"Providence, RI",Housing
Downtown + Uptown & Surrounding Neighborhoods Plan,"El Paso, TX","El Paso, TX",31.7618778,-106.4850217,"The Downtown, Uptown and Surrounding Neighborhoods Master Plan was created with significant input from the residents, neighborhood associations, core stakeholders, and City staff. The City of El Paso Capital Improvement Department (CID) worked with Nels Nelson to explore potential opportunities and constraints with infusing new housing and supportive uses into the 3 square mile area and better connect existing neighborhoods with the heart of the city. The objective of this plan is to improve livability, equity, economic prosperity, housing for all ages and incomes, expanded public amenities, and improve pedestrian connectivity to existing neighborhoods.


Since the Plan’s adoption, the City has reported that it has been a great success. The Plan set the stage for zoning reform and unlocked $17 million in grant funding.

The Plan was delivered as a PDF and as a Storymap with interactive maps. Access the Plan on Elevate El Paso.


Map with opportunity sites and key corridors

Upper Mesa rendering

Downtown rendering
“To identify where do we need to make improvements in infrastructure… It means things like roads, sidewalks, streets, trees, lighting, bike lanes… And so we need to do a needs assessment and that’s what this plan did. Second is that we really need to be focusing on how do we make it easier for people to redevelop or to invest in their properties.”

Alex Hoffman, City of El Paso, Texas
Screenshot of an interactive map for El Paso
Interactive map of land available for mixed-income housing redevelopment. View the entire report on the City’s website.

Creating the actionable plan is a highly collaborative process. It began with online surveys, data gathering, and analysis of demographics in the defined project area. We also gained significant input from the community through several public and stakeholder meetings. This process is revealing the wants and needs of stakeholders and avoiding the “top-down” way of previous, abortive, revitalization proposals. Our team is developing goals that include attracting employment, promoting equity and inclusivity, encouraging adaptive reuse of existing structures, diversifying housing, promoting commercial vibrancy, expanding mobility, enhancing walkability, and providing dynamic public spaces.","El Paso, TX",Digital products
Dedham 40B,"Dedham, MA","Dedham, MA",42.2436085,-71.1676536,Not_applicable,"Dedham, MA",Housing
Dedham 3A,"Dedham, MA","Dedham, MA",42.2436085,-71.1676536,"CommunityScale worked with the Town of Dedham’s staff and planning board to craft MBTA Communities compliant zoning. The zoning has been adopted and submitted to the EOHLC for approval.

Dedham is one of the 175 communities subject to the law, due to the location of three MBTA commuter rail stations within its border. As with every other MBTA community, Dedham is subject to specific requirements based on the existing number of housing units, the type of MBTA infrastructure to which it has access, and the percentage of land within a half-mile of stations that EOHLC has determined to be “developable”.


Over the course of five months, our team members worked from a broad range of options to develop several specific scenarios in GIS that investigated the implications of different zoning options. Together with the client, those scenarios were refined and vetted until a preferred option was selected.

The proposed scenario was presented to the Planning Board on January 11, 2023. It uses two overlays to achieve the required capacity. The higher density overlay uses dimensional and density requirements similar to residential developments already built or entitled near Corporate Center, at a density of roughly 30 units per acre. The lower density overlay has a density of roughly 15 units per acre.


Following adoption of the zoning, CommunityScale worked with the Town to complete EOHLC’s compliance calculator and other materials for compliance submission. More information is available on the Town’s website.","Dedham, MA",Housing
Central Indiana Housing Study,"Indianapolis Metro Area, IN","Indianapolis, IN",39.76909,-86.158018,,"Indianapolis, IN",Housing
Birmingham housing consultant on-call,"Birmingham Region, AL","Birmingham, AL",33.5185892,-86.8103567,,"Birmingham, AL","Housing, Zoning"
"Barrington, RI Housing Needs Assessment","Barrington, RI","Barrington, RI",41.7406798,-71.308609,,"Barrington, RI",Housing
"Alexandria, VA Housing Needs Assessment","Alexandria, VA","Alexandria, VA",38.804693,-77.0435257,,"Alexandria, VA",Housing
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