As oil prices dip to around $30 a barrel, fears are setting in that North Dakota's oil fields have been overdeveloped. If the current boom goes bust, these towns might find themselves nearly empty.
In towns like Williston, North Dakota, the past eight years have been boom times. The arrival of fracking technicians and engineers, mostly men, brought on a spree of development to house, feed, and entertain them. "Now, laid-off oil-field workers are piecing together new jobs, and some have left town. Hotels that were once booked solid for months are about half occupied. Some of the new luxury apartments built to handle the surge of arrivals are dark."
Jack Healy continues, "The slowdown has hammered governments across North Dakota, forcing some to cut spending or dip into reserves. Williston expects $151 million in revenue this year, down about 23 percent from two years ago. Real estate prices have come down, giving a welcome break to many renters, but agents say there is a glut of about 300 to 400 homes for sale, with more being built."
While local leaders profess their faith that the boom will continue, workers aren't so sure. "'I wish I'd come a couple years ago,' [Jerry] Mallett, 60, said one afternoon as he sat at a hiring center, waiting to hear about a job hauling sand and water to fracking sites. 'I wouldn’t be broke.'"
FULL STORY: Built Up by Oil Boom, North Dakota Now Has an Emptier Feeling
West Texas Drilling Boom Bodes Ill for Residents, the Planet
Driven by foreign demand, a surge in West Texas oil production is having adverse effects on the local populace, and contributes to climate change at a crucial moment.
Increased Oil Supply = Increased Oil Prices?
So much for the economic laws of supply and demand or "drilling our way" to cheap gas prices. It's not that simple when it comes to oil. Dan Strumpf explains what's behind the latest surge in oil prices. Oil markets and infrastructure play key roles.
Oil Drilling Myths Exposed By Paul Krugman
New York Times economics writer and Nobel laureate Paul Krugman analyzes two major reasons for increasing oil drilling - reducing unemployment and lowering gas prices, and describes why it does neither.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
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.
