In this episode, Ryan Glick sits down with Kevin Maevers, Director of Development Services at the Robson Companies, to talk about the real-world challenges and opportunities in land development today. Kevin has worked across engineering, planning, and city leadership roles, giving him a full view of how communities are built and how to work within and around the systems in place.
Kevin shares how he got his start in the industry at just 16 years old, working as a design drafter, and how he blended his technical background with a creative mind to become a land planner. His passion for development comes through as he explains how planning allows him to use both sides of his brain, to visualize a project from a blank piece of paper and see it through to reality. He also dives into how his upbringing and mentorship from his father set the foundation for his long and successful career.
A major theme of this conversation is the shift from the term “affordable” to “attainable” housing. Kevin explains why the word “affordable” has become tied to government programs and public pushback, especially in the heartland. He also shares how demographic shifts, like more empty nesters and dual-income households without kids, are changing the demand for smaller, more manageable homes. Kevin talks about how developers need to meet these needs and how cities are beginning to recognize the link between community development and economic growth.
Kevin also outlines how public engagement can make or break a project. He explains how listening to neighbors early in the process builds trust and can even turn opponents into supporters. Whether it’s a 6-unit or 600-unit project, his method of transparent communication, early outreach, and showing how a project can solve existing problems, like traffic or drainage, helps projects get approved.
First Continental is a specialized private lending company with an exclusive focus on non-recourse financing for residential lot acquisition and development. To learn more, visit www.firstcontinental.com.
Ryan sits down with Peter Murphy Lewis to talk about how storytelling can help developers and builders attract better talent and build stronger teams. They break down simple, practical ways to use video and real stories to stand out in today’s labor market.
Keith Miller joins the show to talk about his focus on building attainably priced homes at scale in Montana, why he’s using factory-built housing, and what it really takes to bring new supply to fast-growing markets.
Ryan and Charles break down falling homebuyer demand, a heated TikTok debate on millennial housing choices, a proposed property tax hike in New York City, and what a shrinking U.S. population could mean for developers.