Editorial Guidelines
Development magazine is a quarterly publication of NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association. Available in print, online, digital and app formats, the magazine is circulated to more than 21,000 members and subscribers in the United States and Canada.
Through articles and columns, the magazine addresses products and issues impacting commercial real estate development, both now and in the future. Office, industrial, retail and mixed-used projects are featured. Topics include: leadership and management; regulatory and government affairs; the capital markets; investment sales; supply, demand and rents relating to real estate products; demographics, technology and consumer behavior; transportation and mobility; sustainability; leasing and marketing; and more.
We want to hear from you
Send your press releases, white papers, data, reports, etc., to developmentmagazine@naiop.org. To submit a feature article or content for one of our columns, click on the tabs below.
Spring 2024 Edition
Cover Topic: Adaptive Reuse
Examples:
- Office Conversions
- Zoning Regulations
- Financing and Incentivizing Adaptive Reuse
- Downtown Revitalization
- Upgrading Office Amenities
- The New Workplace
- New Uses for Old Warehouses
- Affordable Housing
- Transit Oriented Development
- Automation
- New Approaches to Economic Development
Due Dates:
Topic Suggestions Due: November 7
Editorial Copy Due: November 27
Ad Closing: January 19
Ad Materials Due: January 26
Publication Date: March 27
Summer 2024 Edition
Cover Topic: Sustainability and Resiliency
Examples:
- Changing Demographics and Market Dynamics
- Labor Supply and Costs
- Infrastructure and Transportation
- Regulations and Legislation
- Electric Conversions
- Electric and Autonomous Vehicles
- Supply Chain Resiliency
- Nearshoring
- Alternative Energy + Natural Resource Constraints
- ESG
- The New Reality in CRE Investment
- Insurance
- Affordable Housing
Due Dates:
Topic Suggestions Due: January 31
Editorial Copy Due: February 14
Ad Closing: April 5
Ad Materials Due: April 12
Publication Date: June 12
Fall 2024 Edition
Cover Topic: Developer of the Year
Also:
- What’s Next in Warehouses
- What’s Next in Retail
- Private Equity and Finance
- Hospitality
- Canadian and Mexican Cross Border Solutions
- Brownfields
- How CRE Development Has Changed Over the Decades
- Creating a CRE Talent Pipeline
- How the Economic Landscape is Shaping CRE
Due Dates:
Topic Suggestions Due: May 14
Editorial Copy Due: May 28
Ad Closing: July 19
Ad Materials Due: July 26
Publication Date: September 25
Winter 2024/2025 Edition
Cover Topic: CRE & Technology
Examples:
- Data Centers
- Applying AI in CRE
- Advanced Data Analysis in CRE
- Proptech
- Construction Technology
- Automation in Warehouses
- Cybersecurity
- Big Data and the Future of CRE
Due Dates:
Topic Suggestions Due: August 16
Editorial Copy Due: August 30
Ad Closing: October 25
Ad Materials Due: November 1
Publication Date: January 8
Please note: Cover story topics are subject to change without notice. Development magazine’s cover story focuses on timely commercial real estate topics and issues. The topics are selected, well in advance, by Development editors and members of the NAIOP Editorial Board.
Submit a Feature Article
Feature stories in Development magazine highlight completed real estate projects, relating to industrial, office, retail or mixed-use products. Projects under construction, which are significantly pre-leased, are also of interest. Priority is given to articles written by current NAIOP members or their designees, but we do accept and publish submissions from the broader real estate development community. They must be written exclusively for Development magazine and not previously published. NAIOP reserves the right to edit content for purposes of style, clarity and page layout.
Content for Feature Articles
The major elements of the development process, listed below, provide a good starting point for articles; however, additional ideas are welcome.
- Land purchase/Assembly
- Master plan/Rezoning
- Design/Construction
- Financing and Tax Incentives
- Marketing/Leasing
- Ongoing Operations
- Refinance/Sale
As a professional association, one of NAIOP’s goals is to share lessons learned and best practices among its members. In this vein, consider the questions below when writing:
- Was there strong support or opposition for the project; among whom? Did the project face any regulatory hurdles? If so, how did it overcome them?
- Are there unique location, access, parking or pedestrian elements?
- Did you use new building materials or install innovative systems in the project? Is there unique technology in the building?
- Did you employ any unique construction processes (e.g., BIM)?
- What surprises, positive or negative, did you encounter along the way? How did you overcome challenges?
- How was the project financed? Describe the structure and terms of the construction loan and permanent financing.
- Describe public incentives obtained relative to the project.
- Was demand what you expected? Are you achieving absorption and rent levels inside your target range?
- What industries/users did you expect to attract? Did they materialize or have different tenants emerged?
- What key features or amenities did you incorporate, and why? Were they worth the investment?
Parameters for Feature Articles
- 2,000 words with title and subheads, double-spaced, 12 point font, in a Word document
- Photography: six to eight images at 300 dpi resolution in jpeg format at a size of 8 x 10 inches
- Exterior images can include buildings, public spaces, streetscapes/plaza areas, ideally with people
- Interior images can include lobbies, workspaces or other unique amenities, ideally with people
- Submit descriptive captions for each image, of one to two sentences
How to Submit a Topic for Consideration
- Project type, name and location
- Name of developer, architect, general contractor, legal counsel, lender, etc.
- Byline author; name of NAIOP member
- Description of the project and why it merits to be profiled as a feature story
- Two to three photos of the building exterior and interior
Send material to: Jonathan Rollins, Managing Editor, Publications.
After we assess your submission, we will contact you to discuss specifics of the article, due dates and the editorial process. Typically, authors are given four to six weeks to submit an article and photography.
Submit a Topic for One of Our Columns
We welcome suggestions about compelling and timely topics that can be featured in one of the columns listed below. Column text ranges in length from 500 to 1,000 words. Submit a graphic element, such as a table, graph or chart, to supplement your text.
A Look Ahead
Topics address changing demographics, technology, social patterns/behaviors and new design concepts affecting future business practices and real estate products.
The Entrepreneur
Elements of managing a commercial real estate-related company are featured, including leadership, compensation, succession and business operations (management, accounting, legal, technology, HR, marketing).
Inside Investment and Finance
The capital markets, financial structures, and investment sales activity are covered.
Strategically Green
Topics focus on new and emerging technologies, materials, systems and strategies to reduce the use of natural resources and increase building operational efficiencies.
Transportation and Mobility
This column highlights transportation modes and how they are integrated with real estate products. Ports, rail, heavy-rail, light rail, BRT, para-transit, bikes, footpaths, the changing auto industry (i.e., electric cars), water taxis, ferries, etc. are all game.
In Touch with Tenants
Topics relate to the leasing and marketing of real estate products, focusing on successful strategies and processes used to market new space; negotiate build-to-suit deals and pre-leases; retain existing tenants, etc.
Parameters for Columns
- 500 to 1,000 words with title and subheads, double-spaced, 12 point font, in a Word document
- Submit a graphic element, such as a table, graph or charts, to supplement your text; include proper title, clear labels, relevant dates and source
How to Submit a Topic for Consideration
Send a draft with graphic elements to Jonathan Rollins, Managing Editor, Publications.
Development Magazine Article Reprints
Want to use a Development magazine article as a marketing or educational tool? NAIOP offers reprints of its magazine articles.
If you would like to license an article, the cost is $250.
You can also purchase additional copies of Development magazine for $5 each.
To purchase reprints, additional copies of Development magazine, license an article or if you have questions, please contact Kathy Jackson.