Master plan developers, home builders, capital partners, and more industry professionals gathered in Tampa, Florida, Oct. 9 to 11 at Zonda’s Future Place conference to explore the future of master-planned communities (MPCs).
Beyond networking, attendees gained insights from Zonda chief economist Ali Wolf on the current state of the housing market, learned the latest in land opportunities and capital funding, explored futuristic design ideas for the coming decades, and recognized Lakewood Ranch pioneer Rex Jensen with the 2023 Legends Award.
While attendees walked away with a wealth of information and inspiration, here are seven high-level takeaways from some of the sessions that were presented at the event.
1. People are focused on wellness: In her future of MPCs session, Zonda principal Mollie Carmichael touched on blue zones, which are a handful of places around the world where people live longer than average. U.S. buyers are interested in the concept and in large-scale communities that feature amenities like trails, allowing them to connect with nature; pickleball courts for movement and fun; and local gardens and farms to bring them fresh food.
2. Affordability is a top concern: During the Florida CEO panel, Edward E. Burr, president and CEO of GreenPointe Holdings, summarized a key affordability point nicely: “It’s easy to sit around and think up great master plan conveniences, amenities, and beautiful buildings, but it is driven by the ultimate affordability. What will our owners and families be able to afford?”
3. Be a long-term thinker: After being presented with his Legends Award, Jensen and Laura Cole, senior vice president of Lakewood Ranch, took the stage to talk about their award-winning community outside of Sarasota. Established in 1994, the 33,000-acre master plan is home to roughly 40,000 residences and 64,674 people, with more runway in its future. He encouraged his peers to “take the high road,” “be stewards of land," and always "be thinking long term."
4. Location possibilities are growing: In the Latest in Land & Capital session, the panel emphasized that the work-from-home trend is real. With more people not commuting and affordability concerns closer to larger metros, they encouraged developers to explore the outskirts and create “place” in more remote destinations.
5. Amenities are important, but people make a community: Stated by more than one speaker, built amenities like clubhouses, pools, and parks attract people to buy, but lifestyle directors and planned events are so important to the fabric of a community. From farmer’s markets to volleyball leagues to moms simply walking on trails with strollers, developers need to be thinking about how residents will connect after build-out.
6. Embrace density and design: With a continuous housing shortage, Chris Weekley, president of David Weekley Homes; Alaina Money-Garman, CEO of Garman Homes; and Christopher Moore, CEO of DTJ Design, were in agreement during their session on increasing density, but in a creative way. Each of their companies have been hard at work designing smaller products on smaller tracts of land that are still attractive and meet buyer needs.
7. The future is not far: From Bjarke Ingels Group’s Kai-Uwe Bergmann presenting on building on the moon in the next decade to MIT’s P-REX Lab’s Jonah Susskind researching autonomous vehicle infrastructure for car-less communities, the future is coming, and it’s coming fast. Each innovator encouraged developers to think outside of the box as the world approaches realities that used to be only portrayed in movies.
