The Planning Studio and Selva Partners Alliance

The Alliance

The The Planning Studio-Selva Partners Alliance builds on a 34-year relationship between the senior principals of each firm, along with the global experience, entrepreneurial and cultural outlook that TPS and SP partners have accumulated along the way.

When you engage TPS and SP as your partner, planner or advisor, you receive the complete set of capabilities needed for economic and environmental feasibility assessment, master planning and design, entitlement, finance and economics of developing profitable and sustainable communities and projects.  For more details , please click on the following links:  www.selvapartners.com and www.tpslandplanning.com.

By utilizing this comprehensive set of expertise under single, integrated management, possibly unique in our field, but certainly not common practice, you gain the benefit of enhanced project quality, time savings, lowered risk and greater profitability. We work at large and small scales both in our domestic USA base and globally.

The TPS-SP Alliance is organized in three interactive disciplines:

• Master Planning, Entitlement and Project Management
• Sustainable Development Planning and Economics
• Real Estate Finance and Development Ventures

What is Sustainable Development?

• Meeting the needs of today without compromising those of future generations
• Maintaining, restoring, enhancing the natural, cultural and economic environment
• Creating self-perpetuating (regenerative) communities

Our Capabilities

The following are the disciplines managed and/or performed by the TPS-SP Alliance  As a result of our broad based experience, we can also assist both domestic and international clients in the selection of an exceptional team of consultants tailored to a particular project‚Äôs requirements.

Physical and Policy Planning

• Master/site planning and urban design*
• Residential and golf residential master planned communities
• Integrated resorts
• Waterfront developments
• Multifaceted urban projects
• Development project management*
• Policy plans and design guidelines*
• Environmental assessments *
• Entitlement strategy and liaison*
• Regulatory permitting (all levels)*
• Community outreach and presentations*
• Decision-maker liaison*

Urban Design

• Landscape design*
• Recreation planning*

Finance and Economics

• Development pro forma*
• Joint ventures and financing*
• Environmental econometrics*
• Feasibility studies and real estate due diligence*
• Real estate brokerage (affiliated individual California licensees 01231856 and 01355436) http://www2.dre.ca.gov/PublicASP/pplinfo.asp
• Marketing and presentations*
• Sourcing, identifying, and underwriting real estate acquisition opportunities*
• Financial modeling and pro-forma preparations for new and existing investments*
• Market research and real estate valuation analysis*
• Investment and transaction closing expertise*
• Natural Resources
• Wetlands restoration*
• Natural resource management plans*
• Conservation easements*
• Conservation (e.g., biological and carbon) credits*
• Fuel modification, and fire modeling and protection plans*

Computer Graphics and Programming

• GIS*
• Graphics*
• Data base administration and software development*
• Website design*

Engineering

• LEED evaluations*

How We Work

We integrate and manage master planning, design, land use, ecology, economics, finance, and project management under a single entity.  We manage all of the capabilities in the process through seven phases of work from due diligence to completed project.

Phase I:  Research

The Research phase involves intensive information gathering and familiarization with our partners, collaborators and the communities where we work.  This phase can be used to identify and consider the pre-investment/purchase feasibility  (also known as due diligence), or, once due diligence has been completed, the gathering of more detailed information and outreach to others involved.  We typically ask these kinds of questions:

• What are the land use objectives and vision of the project proponent and those of the community?  Are they compatible?
• What are the project proponent‚Äôs financial objectives?
• What are the economic needs of the community? What does the market want?
• What is the community cultural context (history, culture, demographics, politics)
• What are the key features of the land and the community that will shape the master plan at regional, sub-regional and local site scales (e.g., climate, topography, drainage, transportation, and aesthetics)?
• Can the project objectives be accommodated?  Are they compatible with the environment and the community?
• What can the land and community support?
• What sustainability strategies and objectives are appropriate and feasible for the project? (Each setting requires customization)
• Overall, what are the opportunities and constraints to a sustainable community?

We use GIS and other information technology to organize and analyze the research and reconnaissance throughout all phases of work.

Phase 2: Preliminary Planning

Together with the Research phase, we work  with our collaborators through workshops (also known as ‚Äúcharettes‚Äù) to convert the answers to the research phase questions  to land use and design concepts. These are  expressed diagrammatically through a series of ‚Äúbubble‚Äù plans and conceptually in programs outlining sustainability and finance. Often, we prepare a spectrum of land use scenarios showing allocations of use, density, unit counts, and preliminary environmental and financial analyses alongside to guide decision-making. We consider all relevant factors at the early stages to avoid later costly surprises and dead ends (especially environmental and financial)..  Through this process, we  reach a reliable  decision on a preferred and feasible sustainable development approach.

Phase 3:  Conceptual Master Plan and Sustainability Concepts

The Conceptual Master Plan  refines the preferred development scenario. It illustrates major and secondary roadways, land use parcels, golf course routings (if applicable), natural and recreational open space networks. At this stage, we enhance the land utilization schedule with more accurate parcel areas, unit counts and densities, along with continuing interactive environmental and financial analyses at greater detail in order to assure that the project design remains consistent with objectives..  At the same time, we develop and coordinate the architectural and landscape concepts that will allow for  later implementation.

Phase 4: Detailed Master Plan and Sustainable Development Program

During this phase, we detail  the backbone structure of the master plan, including, for example, roadway layouts, street cross-sections, open space design and program elements for commercial uses such as hotels and resorts, golf, etc., if they are part of the proposed land use.  We prepare lotting layouts and initial site plans for all residential components.  For hotels and resorts, working with an operator and the architect, we would specify the desired internal functional components and their operational features to test assumptions and to provide input into Phase 5.  We also prepare a final conceptual list of sustainability elements to be further developed, along with continuing the interactive environmental and financial analyses to assure the plan remains feasible and consistent with objectives.

Phase 5: Final Master Plan and Sustainability Plan

In Phase 5, we prepare a final master plan and its companion sustainability features.  The purpose of this effort is to set the stage first for receipt of entitlement-to-use permits and to provide a comprehensive, but flexible road map to guide the public entitlement and subsequent implementation phase. The sustainability plan is unique to each project, but it would typically include:  Water Quality Management Plan, Integrated Landscape Management Plan, Open Space Conservation Plan, Water and Energy Conservation Plan and Economic Development Plan.  Design guidelines and development regulations may also be part of this phase, as required. Further refined financial and environmental analyses will be prepared at this time to support impact assessment documentation and to  measure and to demonstrate the public environmental and economic benefits of the project to the public and decision-makers..

Phase 6:  Presentation and Entitlement

The Master Plan and Sustainability Plan will be put into a form suitable for public presentation and environmental and fiscal impact assessment by the public agency..  This documentation can include illustrations, scale models, three-dimensional renderings and visualizationst.  The Sustainability Plan will include the components prepared in Phase 5. Depending on the circumstances, we will continue our project management role and provide liaison to the public agency through  receipt of all  local and other permits.

Phase 7: Implementation and Construction

Once land use permits have been received, we will manage the overall team to assure that the Master Plan and Sustainability Plan are implemented in detailed architectural and landscape design and engineering, and later, during the construction phase.  During construction, by carrying forward the project ‚Äúinstitutional memory‚Äù, we work with construction managers and builders to assure proper interpretation of the Master Plan and Sustainability Plan.