The purpose of this article is to understand how to quickly assess the development opportunities, building yield or lot yield, and assess various alternatives before moving to the next stage of the analysis process.  Prior to spending human and financial capital on chasing a project, applying an analysis of lot or building yields will provide the basis for determining project feasibility.

This article provides for calculations for residential densities as well as determining the maximum square footage of building area for an income property such as office, industrial, or retail.

Calculating Development Capacity – How to determine site yield 

In the following case studies provide examples of the concepts addressed in the Calculating Development Capacity article. The exercise provides for a residential to calculate the approximate number of dwelling units based on the site area (without regard to the physical character or constraints of the property), and a commercial property to calculate the maximum building area for a commercial building when building heights (or more specifically floors), parking ratios, and open space requirements are known.

This case study will provide the tools and the practice to quickly evaluate alternative development scenarios for any given site.

Development Yield + Capacity Case Study & Solution