354: Building with community input
This is episode 2 of 6 in a Deep Dive Series on the Housing Innovation Alliance! If you hear any background noise, that's because this episode was recorded LIVE at the HIA Conference 2024 at the University of Denver! “For me, it’s starting with innovating from that bottom-up piece where it’s getting the people who are going to be affected by these changes and by these designs into the conversation as early as possible.” In this conversation, Devon Tilly chats with Brent Forsberg about community inclusion in development plans! Brent Forsberg has been active in real estate sales, investing, and development for 22 years in the Greater Lansing area. Currently, he is the President of TA Forsberg Inc, a firm with over 60 years of experience in road and sewer construction, and land development specializing in residential and light commercial and professional office. Brent has led the sales teams of several large residential developments in the Greater Lansing and is a licensed broker involved in Forsberg Real Estate Company. T.A. Forsberg, Inc.’s projects have provided residential home sites for more than 1000 families within its premier lifestyle neighborhoods. He is currently involved in several urban sustainability and renewal projects within the Greater Lansing Area. Brent focuses on how to create stronger connected communities between local businesses, the arts, and residents through Place-Based Development and human-scaled design. Throughout his career, Brent has been active on many industry and non-profit boards including the National Homebuilders Sales and Marketing Council, the City of Mason Downtown Development Authority, and the Mason Chamber of Commerce Board, Lansing March of Dimes, The Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP) board, and is the 2020 President of the Greater Lansing Homebuilders Association. He is also active on many committees working on transportation issues, education, workforce development, and promotion of the arts. Brent is an active speaker and has given talks, led design charrettes, and facilitated roundtables. Topics include market research, scale and design, and new home sales. Venues have included the International Homebuilders Show, the University of Michigan, Lansing Community College, many local schools, neighborhood associations, trade associations, and non-profit groups. Personally, Brent is an avid outdoorsman enjoying alpine skiing and mountain biking with family and friends. He is an avid reader and enjoys writing as well. Brent enjoys cooking and participated in the celebrity chef auction for the March of Dimes for seven years. He loves working with people and being a small part of the growth in the Greater Lansing Region. Keep up with the Art of Construction (AOC) podcast on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Youtube! Subscribe to the Art of Construction (AOC) podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!