Overall, the value of American land is strikingly high. But it's the differences between and within cities that concern Florida.
In CityLab, Richard Florida unpacks a study finding that the total value of urban land in the United States is over $25 trillion—"more than double the nation's total economic output or GDP in 2006." And nearly half that value is concentrated in just five major metropolitan areas: New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, D.C., and Chicago.
As Florida notes, central land is more valuable than "average" land within a city—a gap that is significantly wider in the top five cities. In other words, "central land tends to grow more valuable in larger metros," perhaps because "the high price of central urban land is a byproduct of the clustering of economic activity that defines the urban revival."
There's more detail at CityLab. The bottom line, for Florida, is that "the study confirms something that is becoming increasingly obvious: Economic inequality is bad, but spatial inequality is even worse."
FULL STORY: The Staggering Value of Urban Land
'The New Urban Crisis' and the High Line
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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
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US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
5 New England states march closer to 800 megawatt wind energy project
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Airbnb launches $250 million 'last-dollar financing' housing accelerator, makes first investment in Austin
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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.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association