Richard Lawson

Richard Lawson

Journalist/writer/storyteller

Richard Lawson is an award-winning journalist on housing and adaptive reuse.

Cushman Warns Cities: Convert Offices Or Face Growing Crisis

Capital

Cushman Warns Cities: Convert Offices Or Face Growing Crisis

Downtowns overweighted in office space face falling values and shrinking tax bases. Swift conversions to housing and mixed-use are essential to prevent fiscal and social decline.

Los Angeles Halts SB 9 Light-Density Housing in Fire Zones

Policy

Los Angeles Halts SB 9 Light-Density Housing in Fire Zones

Los Angeles’ emergency order blocks Senate Bill 9 lot-splits in fire-ravaged Pacific Palisades, restoring the single-family pattern that existed before the January inferno. The move underscores tensions between state housing law and local disaster realities.

Indigo in Fort Bend: A Model for Smart Density And Market Alignment

Policy

Indigo in Fort Bend: A Model for Smart Density And Market Alignment

Ahead of state reform, Indigo demonstrates how planning, education, and balance can deliver affordability. Cottages under $300,000 are selling out fast—proof that zoning alignment and collaboration work.

Denver Joins National Push to Scrap Parking Minimums

Policy

Denver Joins National Push to Scrap Parking Minimums

Denver’s city council voted to eliminate parking minimums citywide, aligning with a national movement to cut costs, speed approvals, and clear the way for more housing.

Arlington Fast-Tracks Vacant Office-To-Housing Reinvention

Policy

Arlington Fast-Tracks Vacant Office-To-Housing Reinvention

JBG Smith’s 195-unit project is the first under Arlington’s streamlined office-to-residential conversion ordinance. Richard Lawson reports on a real estate transformation with potentially sweeping national appeal.

Cushman Warns Cities: Convert Offices Or Face Growing Crisis

Capital

Cushman Warns Cities: Convert Offices Or Face Growing Crisis

Downtowns overweighted in office space face falling values and shrinking tax bases. Swift conversions to housing and mixed-use are essential to prevent fiscal and social decline.

Los Angeles Halts SB 9 Light-Density Housing in Fire Zones

Policy

Los Angeles Halts SB 9 Light-Density Housing in Fire Zones

Los Angeles’ emergency order blocks Senate Bill 9 lot-splits in fire-ravaged Pacific Palisades, restoring the single-family pattern that existed before the January inferno. The move underscores tensions between state housing law and local disaster realities.

Indigo in Fort Bend: A Model for Smart Density And Market Alignment

Policy

Indigo in Fort Bend: A Model for Smart Density And Market Alignment

Ahead of state reform, Indigo demonstrates how planning, education, and balance can deliver affordability. Cottages under $300,000 are selling out fast—proof that zoning alignment and collaboration work.

Denver Joins National Push to Scrap Parking Minimums

Policy

Denver Joins National Push to Scrap Parking Minimums

Denver’s city council voted to eliminate parking minimums citywide, aligning with a national movement to cut costs, speed approvals, and clear the way for more housing.

Arlington Fast-Tracks Vacant Office-To-Housing Reinvention

Policy

Arlington Fast-Tracks Vacant Office-To-Housing Reinvention

JBG Smith’s 195-unit project is the first under Arlington’s streamlined office-to-residential conversion ordinance. Richard Lawson reports on a real estate transformation with potentially sweeping national appeal.