IRVINE, CA—As GlobeSt.com reported earlier this month, Brian Chartrand has been named president of Driver URBAN, a subsidiary of C.W. Driver. GlobeSt.com spoke with Chartrand about his goals in his new position, the challenges of urban development and new trends emerging in this category.

GlobeSt.com: What are your goals in your new position at Driver URBAN?

Chartrand: Our goal is to build a group that specializes in and is diversified in our product types. Those include mixed-use multifamily, assisted living, limited-service hospitality, student housing and affordable housing. We're leveraging the resources and good reputation of our parent company C.W. Driver to create a company that's best in all our product types, and we're striving to create a good culture, with good teams and people.

GlobeSt.com: What makes urban development so crucial to the commercial real estate industry right now?

Chartrand: There was already a pent-up demand when the recession hit, and when no one was building, the demand increased. That demand didn't go anywhere because nobody was building during the recession. Land is becoming scarcer, especially in Southern California, and the need for good apartment housing is so great that it's fueling development in other areas as we get these little hubs throughout Southern California. I don't think it's just multifamily—assisted living is coming up as well, and the demand for that is increasing as Baby Boomers age. There's a pent-up demand for that in both urban and suburban markets. We have three or four assisted-living projects under construction in both environments.

GlobeSt.com: What are the challenges of urban development?

Chartrand: The biggest challenge is finding the land and land prices. It's interesting to see developers get creative. Along those lines, they're trying to find ways to design buildings heavily based around amenities that have the density needed to make land prices make sense.

GlobeSt.com: What trends do you see emerging in urban development as this area continues to garner interest from the industry??

Chartrand: There's a continued focus on amenities in this round. There's also a bigger focus on making sure people are developing a community as opposed to an apartment complex. Residents want to be part of a community; they want nice areas where they can do things and mix with other people. Another trend is technology with Wi-Fi and Internet systems, including electronic locking systems. There's a more tech-savvy focus on things that have been done the same way for years. And there's a focus on green buildings and the environmental approach.