Schadenfreude is a German concept that means "taking pleasure in the suffering of others." Columnist Meghan Daum is experiencing 'debtenfreude'; the pleasure in watching house flippers and McMansion builders fall to the economic downturn.
"Characterized by self-righteous finger-wagging at over-mortgaged neighbors, and downright glee at the site of luxury car owners power washing their own tires at the coin-operated carwash, debtenfreude is at once utterly despicable and utterly human. And though it's not exactly new -- people have been judging the acquisitions of others since the first caveman envied his neighbor's stone tools -- the current strain of debtenfreude seems particularly virulent and widespread.
I think debtenfreude may have started to gain momentum during the Bernard Madoff scandal. Despite public sympathy for the duped investors, you also got the sense that some people were feeling decidedly smug. For all the outrage directed at Madoff himself, there was also a sense that his victims should have known better. "Just about anybody who actually took the time to kick the tires of Mr. Madoff's operation tended to run in the other direction," Joe Nocera of the New York Times wrote in March.
But for all the debtenfreude floating around the Madoff story, the petri dish in which the virus best thrives is the one labeled Other People's Real Estate Fiascoes. Whenever I need a fix of this special blend of callousness and cluelessness, I visit the real estate blog Curbed, which has editions in several cities and provides data and (frequently cantankerous) opinions about local real estate trends. One of the site's regular features, PriceChopper, involves showcasing a property that's had a recent price reduction and asking readers to weigh in on whether it's still overpriced."
FULL STORY: Real estate's happy horror stories

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Amtrak Rolls Out New Orleans to Alabama “Mardi Gras” Train
The new service will operate morning and evening departures between Mobile and New Orleans.

The Subversive Car-Free Guide to Trump's Great American Road Trip
Car-free ways to access Chicagoland’s best tourist attractions.

San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion
The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont