all Real Estate Industry News Archives

DCT Abu Dhabi has Plans for “Safe Zone” Areas to Host Visitor Events

31.08.2020 Economic Development Growth Monitor

SCP’s The Growth Monitor

Encouraged by the success of UFC Fight Island, the Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT Abu Dhabi) is planning a “safe zone” strategy for hosting visitor events. The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event at Yas Island was a success for Abu Dhabi, which provided for a “safe zone” that hosted approximately 2,500 people over five weeks on Yas Island.

The safe zone program may be an approach for other visitor destinations looking to revitalize their tourism industries. Las Vegas may have some suitable properties if not areas of The Strip where this could be workable; at this time Las Vegas is seeking to recover with virtually no convention-related business. A tall order.

A helpful overview of the tourism strategy was provided by Arabian Business in an August 31, 2020 post.

Crystal Lagoons’ PAL Venues Take Over as Top MPC Amenity

AEC’s Consumer Products Monitor

Twenty+ years ago among the sought-after amenities for master-planned communities (“MPC”) was the 18-hole golf course, often enhanced with a top golf course architect. From past Urban Land Institute (“ULI”) research we know there is a premium for a home sold in an MPC setting as compared to the same home outside of an MPC. Golf courses, whether you played or not, were part of a developer’s calculation for the MPC’s value to home buyers. Along with master landscaping, design controls, security, parks, and other amenities.

Crystal Lagoons, the “water tech” company, may have displaced golf in this role, at a time when golf has diminished as an interesting sport among consumers, whether to play or watch. Crystal Lagoons has pioneered an innovative product for land-bound urban and exurban locations, which they’ve dubbed, Public Access Lagoons™. Over the past 20 years , the company has successfully introduced their tropical lagoon and beach destinations through more than 600 projects in 60 countries worldwide (these numbers are probably far higher now than when first released by the company). And the company is on a roll signing up new installations in the U.S. The company’s is distinct enough as an integrated technology and business solution that they offer their intellectual property to 3rd-parties in the form of Master PAL agreements of particular exclusive regions.

The Crystal Lagoons’ product website has some terrific images and video for review, for anyone that has not enjoyed their tropical environments.

VR Mountain Bike Simulator is Way-Cool on Multiple Levels

28.08.2020 Consumer Products Fresh Monitor

AEC’s Consumer Products Monitor

Ride Out, a specialty bike shop located in the Netherlands, has introduced a new VR mountain biking experience based on the death-defying antics of professional Scottish trials cyclist Danny MacAskill. VRScout has a terrific post about this virtual reality experience. We’re hoping this product is as good as it promises!

VR Mountain Bike Simulator Has You Riding Cliffside Across Death-Defying Trails

Project Players & Tracker will be online on September 15.

27.08.2020 Mega Projects Tracking and Monitor

Project Players & Tracker will be online on September 1. We have retooled our former client newsletter, Global Players Brief, with a larger research team and on-the-ground correspondents in key global regions. Please plan to visit us here soon!

Public sector - Economic Development Consultants - Tourism Destination Strategy Consultants

New Research Reveals “Key Drivers” to Propel Urban Economies

24.08.2020 Economic Development Growth Monitor, News about redevelopment and regeneration

AEC’s Growth Monitor

Researchers at Northwestern University have just published some interesting research, about “The universal pathway to innovative urban economies.” The researchers analyzed industrial employment and population changes in 350 U.S. cities between 1998 and 2013, including over 100 million workers.

Key conclusions from the research include an observation that innovative economies start to emerge when an urban population reaches about 1.2 million people. Along with this scale inference, the researchers noted that the transition to an innovative economy depends upon a a city’s ability to attract and retain certain “superlinear industries.” Superlinear industries include the arts, entertainment, professional services, science, and information technology, each of which can grow out of proportion to underlying population growth.

As reported in SciTechDaily, one of the researchers wonders if the remote work promulgated by the COVID-19 virus and distancing may slow down the rate of innovation, in general. The thinking is that innovation may require the spontaneous and serendipitous insights that come with incidental human interactions. This insight certainly rings true for those that have managed collaborative and creative teams; sometimes the best ideas emerge even as the linear ideation and problem-solving proceeds.

An excellent review of the research is available at SciTechDaily, HERE. The research as published is available for full review on the website of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, by clicking here: AAAS Research – The Universal Pathway to Innovative Urban Economies.