Long commute + High Fuel Costs = Home Losses in Exurbs.
You can commute to New York City from the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, according to developers who promoted exurban living back in the early days of the housing bubble. But by 2005, foreclosures in the Poconos region rose above 500; by 2009 the number of foreclosures had quadrupled to 2000. Analysts say one cause is the cost of the extreme commute.
Scott Bernstein with The Center for Neighborhood Technology noted the pattern in the Chicago area and mapped it: the farther out from the city center, the higher the foreclosure rate. Scott told WNYC reporter Andrea Bernstein 2008 was the tipping point, as gas hit $4.30 a gallon: "The cost of housing was apparently low enough to attract people, but the cost of transportation is so high that you couldn't afford to live there anymore."
HUD knows its an issue, and is trying to promote new housing in locations with shorter commutes.
Read the full story: Gas prices drive up foreclosures
Silicon Valley Isn't Really Over
Though a handful of recent articles predicted "peak Silicon Valley," new numbers show the region is still producing lots of good jobs and attracting plenty of venture capital.
The LA housing policies making developers turn away from the city
Despite LA’s housing shortage, developers say the city’s "mansion-tax" and pandemic-era policies make it an unappealing place to build housing.
Los Angeles rescinds twelve 'anti-camping zones'
The zones previously prohibited unhoused people from camping in parts of Hollywood.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Data reveals that NYC’s bet on congestion pricing has paid off
After almost two years of the program, reports show positive impacts on traffic and air quality and no disruptions to parking.
Denver is solving homelessness. Why aren't the rest of us?
Since 2023, Denver's street homeless population has decreased by 64%, proving that effective tools exist to support those in need of housing.
Chicago's streets are littered with dead birds. Will the city protect them?
Chicago sits in the route of migratory birds traveling south. Its abundance of glass buildings and bright lights make it particularly disorienting for the animals.
CA city to shut down airport, transform it into utopian park
The western side of the 200-acre park will feature a dog park, nature education center and arboretum.
NYC to vote on supporting outdoor dining, streamlining bus and bike lane creation
The city has five proposed amendments to its municipal constitution on the ballot this November.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
Montrose County
Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA)
The Pocatello Development Authority