If you are developing a large scale project, such as a mixed-use building or affordable housing complex, then you are likely well aware that this project will have a big economic, environmental and social impact on the area around it. Whether that impact is positive or negative is up to you, but you cannot be expected to understand all the factors at play in a given community on your own.
That is why a construction consultant in the Bay Area will often advise meeting with different local groups, so as to gain a fuller understanding of the different stakes and concerns. To that end, here are six types of groups you should meet with, from your construction consultant in Oakland:

• Local government: Nobody is going to have a better understanding of the different needs, concerns and tensions in a given community than the person who hears all about them as an officer at the monthly city council meetings. Meeting with the local government early on is an easy way to gain understanding of the area, and may give you a leg up with permits, codes and other regulatory needs. You also ought to meet with specific branches of government, such as the local sheriff or the sanitation department.
  
• Community safety groups: Communities often have neighborhood watch groups and safety committees, and it is now easier than ever for these groups to have effective organizing, influence and outreach thanks to the Internet. Meeting with these groups will give you a clear picture of crime concerns in the area, and will help you stay plugged in to local safety issues.
  
• Local businesses: Meeting with a local chamber of commerce chapter will show that you care about the economic vitality of the entire community, not just your shiny new development. It will also open the door to business collaborations in the future, which could be great for establishing your project in the community.
  
• Nonprofits: Local nonprofits can be involved in issues ranging from health and wellness to drug counseling and parental assistance. Meeting with these groups gives you the chance to do some real good in the community, as well as build mutually beneficial partnerships. This can be especially helpful if you are constructing housing for low income or high risk residents.
  
• Protestors: These days, it is difficult to find a major development in the Bay Area that is not being met with some pushback. Meeting with protestors and activists probably won’t solve everything, but it will at least show that you care, and that you are committed to finding compromise where it is possible.
  
• Local journalists: Finally, meeting with local journalists is an effective way to both get your project’s name out there and learn about the primary local concerns surrounding your building. Just make sure you are well prepared before meeting with them, as one bad story could have long-term negative effects on your project.
  

For more information on community outreach and much more, get in touch with KSD Group Inc., your local construction consultant in the Bay Area.

As a firm specializing in construction management in Concord, CA, we hear the word “sustainability” thrown around a lot in the media and in our meetings. But not everyone fully understands the term, or fully grasps the three different ways that it relates to construction planning.
Sustainability is about a lot more than “going green,” and we here at KSD Group Inc. are committed to pursuing sustainability in all its forms on each and every project. Here is a closer look at the three different factors to consider when planning a sustainable project, and how a team dedicated to construction management in Oakland, CA can help.
Economic sustainability
Whether you are building a high scale, mixed-use condo community or a low-income housing development, you must always look at the short- and long-term economic impact your project will have on the area around it. Rather than building something that will suck up resources and contribute to isolation or overcrowding in the area, you need to strive to build something that will function in financial harmony with its surroundings.
Sustainable construction planners do this by looking into local growth, taking meetings with local government and advocacy groups, and trying to create partnerships with local utilities, businesses and organizations.
Environmental sustainability
Environmental friendliness is usually what springs to mind when someone mentions sustainability these days, and for good reason: with limited resources and the threat of climate change looming large, builders are always looking for new ways to be more environmentally sustainable.
Much of that gets accomplished in the planning stage. Construction planners will look at three different factors: the possibility of treating and then reusing contaminated land; the potential of converting and reusing old buildings (but with more efficient materials); and the question of traveling and accessibility to food, public transportation, entertainment and other daily necessities.
Social sustainability
Finally, social sustainability refers to the usability, accessibility and overall positive impact a building will have on the people who live or work in or around the project site. These concerns often overlap with environmental and economic sustainability. For example, strong public transportation is both an environmental and a social benefit.
In addition to transportation access, construction managers will also look into economic impact, public spaces (such as parks, benches and courtyards), public need for housing and other social factors. Smart firms handling construction management in Berkeley, CA will also take the time to speak with local community members and organizations to learn more about that area’s social needs and wants.
Hitting all three points
As you can see, sustainable building encompasses many different features, factors and questions. If you want to build something that is not only architecturally impressive, but that also has a real positive impact on the surrounding community, then you ought to hire a Bay Area construction management business that has experience and expertise in all three areas.
Since 1979, the team at KSD Group Inc. has paid attention to the social, environmental and economic sustainability of each and every one of our projects. Get in touch today for more information.