How Multifamily Development Is Evolving with Kaitlin McCarthy of Ionic Development

In this episode of PlotLines, Kaitlin McCarthy, Founder and CEO of Ionic Development, joins us for a timely conversation on how mixed-use and multifamily development is evolving and why designing for the human experience is more critical than ever.

Kaitlin’s career journey spans architecture, civil engineering, and construction management, culminating in her leadership of a Boston-based firm that develops and consults across asset types. That multidisciplinary background gives her a unique lens into today’s development challenges and the creative solutions emerging in response.

We kick off the episode by diving into one of today’s most pressing real estate conversations: flexibility. Kaitlin shares how she and her team are approaching new projects with versatility, creating spaces that can be adapted by use case and user need. Whether designing meeting rooms that convert to community spaces or outfitting fitness centers with co-working options, she emphasizes the importance of supporting how people live and work.

The conversation moves from office development to adaptive reuse to life sciences, where Kaitlin offers a refreshing take on third spaces and their role. On the next chapter of life sciences development, particularly important in Boston, Kaitlin discusses how automation and robotics influence lab design, from bench layouts to ceiling height requirements—an evolution happening in real time as tenant expectations shift.

With Boston leading the charge on green mandates like passive house and net-zero standards, sustainability also takes center stage with a focus on how materials like carbon-neutral cement and embodied carbon tracking are no longer future-forward ideas—they’re current requirements reshaping construction practices.

This episode reminds us that today’s most successful developments start with thoughtful design and end with meaningful impact. Kaitlin closes the conversation by calling on us to rethink outdated assumptions and use this market moment to build better, more flexible, inclusive, and sustainable communities.

Tune in to hear why Kaitlin’s headline of choice is, “We’re on the cusp of a renaissance of mixed use, how we’re incorporating experiences and the human experience into everything we do.”