The Latest from CommunityScale
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Housing shortage and equilibrium calculations
This post takes a look at housing shortage calculation methodologies through the lens of a recent whitepaper by Moody’s Analytics and their partners “Bringing the Housing Shortage Into Sharper Focus” about the national housing…
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Stowe Housing Needs Assessment
CommunityScale completed a housing needs assessment for the Town of Stowe, VT as the culminating deliverable of a 12-month planning process led by the Stowe Housing Task Force. The Stowe Selectboard approved the report…
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Housing fingerprint visualizer
We collaborated with artist Roni Kaufman, who used code to visualize our housing data. The work explores three key metrics: the relative share of housing by structure type, the share of structures built since…
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Downtown Syracuse Housing Needs Assessment and Market Study
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…
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Sherborn Multifamily Zoning Overlay
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…
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Nesting zoning use definitions into functional groups
Working on comprehensive zoning rewrites, we wanted to avoid overwhelming users with lists of hundreds of land use definitions, many of which are very similar and similarly applied across the districts, while maintaining a…
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CommunityScale in the news: Lone Tree and Hills housing expansion emerges in JoCo housing study
Preliminary findings from CommunityScale’s housing study for Johnson County, Iowa highlight Lone Tree and Hills as top candidates for new development, thanks to existing water-and-sewer capacity. Our team projects a need for roughly 950…
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CommunityScale in the news: Lynn Council votes to ‘modernize’ zoning regulations
We’re thrilled that Lynn City Council voted unanimously to pass the comprehensive zoning rewrite we’ve been working on. Lynn’s City Council has adopted a sweeping rezoning overhaul, replacing the 1925 code with modern standards…
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City of Lynn Comprehensive Zoning Rewrite
CommunityScale is working on a complete rezoning of the City of Lynn. Our team has two subconsultants, Levine Planning Strategies, led by Jeff Levine, and BBHS Law, led by Jonathan Silverstein. We’ll keep this…
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Kenton County Selects CommunityScale to Deliver Income-Aligned Housing Implementation Strategies and Action Plan
Following up from our 2023 housing study, LinkNKY reports that CommunityScale has been awarded a contract to prepare Kenton County’s Income-Aligned Housing Implementation Strategies and Action Plan. Phase 1 engagement will translate the county’s…
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CommunityScale in the news: Housing is focus of Stowe forum
At a community forum in Stowe, VT, CommunityScale reported that just one-third of local homes are owner-occupied and roughly 1,300 diverse new units are needed. Residents supported zoning updates, new funding tools, and a…
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Federal and state push for transportation‑housing coordination
Congress’ Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) permanently embedded housing considerations in every metropolitan planning organization’s (MPO’s) core duties.
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CommunityScale to lead a Housing Assessment Study for Johnson County, IA
We’re excited to begin work on a housing study for Johnson County, Iowa. Intended to dovetail with a related study for Iowa City and adjacent larger municipalities, our study will focus exclusively on the…
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City of Upper Arlington Housing Market Detailed Analysis
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…
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Economies of Scale, Housing, and Municipal Finance
Does new housing pay for itself? Local governments often weigh the anticipated revenue from new dwellings against the increased costs for police, fire, schools, and infrastructure. This post explores how economies of scale, creditworthiness,…