SAN DIEGO—The concept of “If you build it, they will come” no longer works as a philosophy for developing a master plan, Newport Beach, CA-based iStar's EVP of land Steve Magee tells GlobeSt.com. Rather, today's master plans are being designed to truly emulate how the members of that community wish to live, he says. Magee oversees the firm's western region land portfolio, which consists of large-scale master-planned new community developments. An expert on land, large-scale master-plan development, drought-development considerations and techniques and building for a diverse home-buyer demographic, he was available for interviews on any of these subjects during PCBC here last week. We spoke exclusively with Magee after the conference regarding what to know about master plans and home buyers.

GlobeSt.com: How have today's master plans changed from those of the past?

Magee: The home-building industry evolves at a rapid pace, and the master-plan development arena is no exception. It is a challenge keeping ahead of changing buyer demands and trends, but also a requirement for success. In the past, many large master plans were developed more as a template. Plans merely sought to address a certain number of lots, and those lots were often placed on grid-like streets. This less-thoughtful development approach rarely placed a priority on how the buyer would ultimately use their space and interact with neighbors and community.

Developers today have expanded their sensitivity to what home buyers desire in a home, as well as a lifestyle. For example, we know that parents have concerns about their children and traffic safety, that younger buyers want convenience and proximity to public transit and that the older generation is concerned about security. We know that many buyers regardless of race or age want amenities for their pets. All of these demands—and many more—are being engineered into new communities. In essence, the master plans of today are being designed to emulate truly how the members of that community wish to live.

GlobeSt.com: As a developer of large-scale master-planned new home communities, how do you successful address a diverse set of home buyers in one single development?

Magee: The residential building industry at large used to believe in the mantra, “If you build it, they will come,” but over time this has proven to be an ineffective way to approach the business. Today's new master-planned communities are addressing housing demand across a significantly diverse set of home buyers, with age, race and lifestyle all major factors in the design of both the home and the community surrounding it. While a significant challenge, it is possible to attract and satisfy a variety of buyers in one community.

A multi-segmentation approach focuses first on what each buyer demographic wants in a home and living experience, then next designs to those parameters. Again, this is counter to the model of the past where we built homes and then assumed buyers would simply adapt to them. Hand-picking the right builders for a project is, of course, key. Because it is more common for a builder to excel with one or two buyer populations, today's developer is likely to partner with more than one builder on a large master plan, allowing each builder partner selected to focus on the buyer they are best at serving.

GlobeSt.com: When working with multiple builders, how do you ensure your vision as the developer is ultimately fulfilled?

Magee: It's always important to select the builders that understand and align with your vision and that also have proven success in their particular niche. But developers may also ensure the design of the community is ultimately cohesive regardless of the number of builders involved. One way to accomplish this is to employ consideration design standards. These basically ensure that all builders involved—regardless of whether they are building townhomes for empty-nesters, single-family detached homes for families or flats for young singles and couples—build to a specific architectural style and aesthetic.