Question about new subdivision in a city--and new roads.

[raccoon]

In my area, someone is going to build a new development with hundreds of units. This will be in a suburban area near a large city.

Any of y’all city planners, or used to be? Because what I’m wondering when this happens, is somebody already planning for the new roads that will be needed? Or do they just put up the new units and then think about if
They need new roads For the additional workers now coming and going from the subdivision?

[Lars39]

1. Good planning should take all that into consideration.

Right now I'm living in a town that doesn't seem to do that kind of thing. There's not even stoplights where they are sorely needed for the extra people to get out of this huge apartment complex.

[Dennis Donovan]

2. I believe there are feasibility studies before permits are granted...

...so there should be some thoughts of how it would affect existing infrastructure.

[zipplewrath]

3. Depends where you live

Around here, you can't even get a permit for such a thing without a traffic impact study. In some cases, the developer will pay for improvements to handle the traffic. We had a very large housing development on the border between two towns. One of the towns (that didn't approve of the plan) actually blocked off a road from the development into their town until changes to the traffic plans were built.

Of course at the end of the day these can be very political and large developers can get the politicians to approve things. They also tend to hire the companies that do the traffic studies so...

[Javaman]

4. yes and no.

it all depends on who is involved in the planning.

if it's a subdivision, a good city will have a long term plan for expansion. Meaning, if that particular area where the houses are being built, explodes in popularity, then they usually have a plan for future growth on hand and propose new infrastructure to support the growing population after the fact (usually via a bond).

in other cases, if it's a land grab, the developer knows full well that whatever is being built in a particular location is purely for profit only and cares nothing of the long term growth or what effects the new development has on the surrounding communities. that kind of stuff was going on in the early 2000's and partly lead to the housing crash.

so much BS goes on behind the scenes regarding cities councils in regards to new development that goes unsaid to the public. personally, I believe that there is a lot of bribery and just blatant graft happening.

I work in the architecture/construction industry but am not an architect/nor a contractor.