Joel Kotkin argues that planners too often ignore "the most critical issue" in housing.
The unusual volatility of the housing market over the past few years has left many planners and members of the media focused on "extremes," says Kotkin, with ultra high-end properties and concentrations of exurban foreclosures dominating the conversation. Instead, he argues, planners should focus on how to make home ownership more affordable.
Kotkin argues that high home prices do not necessarily signal the "attractiveness" of a region, as some urbanists posit, but are more often the result of overly stringent regulations like smart growth policies. As a result, he writes, many college-educated people are leaving "overpriced" markets like New York and Los Angeles for more affordable cities in the South, such as Houston and Austin.
Kotkin says:
"How could this be, if everyone with an above-a-room-temperature IQ supposedly favors hip, cool, dense cities? Perhaps it's because of factors often too small or mundane for urban pundits to acknowledge. Most people, particularly as they enter their 30s, aspire to a middle-class lifestyle - and being able to afford a house constitutes a large part of that."
FULL STORY: Why Affordable Housing Matters

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.

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

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing
The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

LA Denies Basic Services to Unhoused Residents
The city has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for trash pickup at encampment sites, and eliminated a program that provided mobile showers and toilets.
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.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie