Summary: Rochester Hills, Mich.-based Giffels-Webster Engineers, an established civil engineering firm of national scope, recently released its Top Five Real Estate and Development Trends. According to GWE, the hottest market growth areas are green building and design, assisted living centers, hotel expansions, education campus additions, mixed-use developments, and urban revitalization.

Green building and design: Increased pressure on communities and businesses to promote more environmentally sound designs has led developers to incorporate green elements into their projects. A plan to develop a parcel of land for retail might include green roofs, rain gardens, or gutter water retention and irrigation systems. LEED®-certified environmental experts soon will become “must-have” team members as demand for energy-efficient and healthy spaces grows stronger.

Assisted living centers: These facilities are on the rise, due to higher life expectancies and shear numbers of Baby Boomers, the first wave of whom are reaching their 60s. To help seniors lead independent lives in non-institutionalized environments, advanced living facilities incorporate nature trails, community dining areas, exercise facilities, music rooms, libraries, salons, and billiard game rooms. Opportunities exist to work with both private developers and public government-funded projects.

Hospital expansions, education campus additions: The hospital and education expansion trend is fueled by institutional projects being funded privately though corporate gifts and individual endowments. These “recession-proof” resources mean that even during economic downturns, this market segment moves forward with plentiful building and capital improvement projects.

Mixed-use developments: Incorporating different building types is growing popular today because it reduces risk for the developer during an uncertain economy. It’s common to see large, national retailers combined with smaller, boutique-type stores, as well as housing varying by size, budget, and amenities. With this approach, the developer’s investment is spread across the spectrum so it remains viable even if one segment does not perform as expected.

Urban revitalization: To attract and keep people in their communities, municipalities and townships are working to make their downtowns, retail hubs, and central business districts more inviting and accessible. Streetscape improvements, including attractive landscaping, decorative streetlights, brick sidewalk pavers, and strategically planned parking areas, all offer examples of how municipalities are proactively transforming their space to appeal to potential and current residents.