Quality of Infrastructure Is Key to Real Estate Development Decisions

The quality of infrastructure systems—including transportation, utilities, and telecommunications—is the most important factor influencing real estate investment and development decisions in cities around the world, according to a survey of public sector and private sector leaders conducted by the Urban Land Institute and EY. The findings are included in the Infrastructure 2014: Shaping the Competitive City report, released this week at ULI’s 2014 Spring Meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The survey, conducted in January 2014, reflects the opinions of 241 public sector officials and 202 senior-level real estate executives (developers, investors, lenders, and advisers) based in large and medium-sized cities across the globe, with concentrations in the United States, Europe, and the Asia Pacific region.

Eighty-eight percent of respondents rated infrastructure quality as the top factor influencing real estate investment and development. Strong telecommunications systems (including high-speed internet capability) led the list, along with good roads and bridges and reliable and affordable energy. Demographic forces, including consumer demand and workforce skills, were other top considerations determining real estate investment locations.