Industrial Land Analysis and Planning

CDM Smith understands the critical importance of ensuring an adequate supply of industrial land is maintained to accommodate employment oppor­tu­ni­ties within local and regional economies.  Our team have extensive experience in preparing strategic assessments of industry and industrial land needs at a local, regional and state wide level including providing high quality industrial land analysis and planning advice.

Strategic industrial land analysis and planning can require a range of inves­ti­ga­tions.  Under­stand­ing the economic contri­bu­tion of industrial areas can be useful to highlight to the community and policy makers their economic signif­i­cance as employment generators and value creators.

The performance of industrial areas will be heavily influenced by supply chain supply chain rela­tion­ships within a region and between it and its neighbours along with regional, national and global industrial trends.

Industrial land analysis and planning will frequently require artic­u­la­tion of the drivers of locational choice (or locational require­ments) of industrial land users at a regional level and the iden­ti­fi­ca­tion of the quantum of vacant and developable industrial land within the subject region based on agree go and no-go constraints.  This facilitates an under­stand­ing of the appro­pri­ate­ness of the location and distri­b­u­tion of remaining vacant and developable supply.

Demand assessment is another key aspect of industrial land analysis and planning.  Industrial land demand can be assessed several ways and frequently strategic planning requires the generation of multiple scenarios to allow for flexible policy responses to future demand.

A comparison of remaining vacant and developable supply of industrial land with industrial land demand allows for conclusions in relation to planning and market need for additional land to be identified or brought to market.  In regions where an industrial land shortage is identified, new areas might need to be identified.  CDM Smith has experience in formulating specific GIS based multi-criteria analysis tools to identify potential future industrial inves­ti­ga­tion areas.  A key aspect of identifying areas for future industrial expansion and development is preparing a high level assessment of infra­struc­ture require­ments for any future expansion area.