In search of space and affordability, American families are increasingly moving to suburbs and exurbs.

Suburban sprawl is nothing new to U.S. cities, but, as we have noted repeatedly over the last two years, the pandemic has accelerated the dispersal of urban households to suburbs and exurbs and reduced Americans' appetite for public transit. But high rents in urban cores have been driving the trend since well before the pandemic. And, as Patrick Sisson writes, "with growth has come a familiar set of challenges, including traffic, environmental damage and city services that struggle to reach a spread-out population."
To meet rising demand for new homes, developers are building on undeveloped suburban fringes rather than urban infill properties with more difficult permitting processes. "Indeed, the ascendance of sprawl is a source of dismay for historic foes of this land- and energy-intensive development pattern, which bakes-in car-centric lifestyles and strains resources like water."
While some cities are enacting zoning reforms and pro-density policies to increase affordability and fight climate change, Sisson says "those factors are not nearly enough to offset the magnetic pull of cheap land." While local leaders embrace walkability and density as goals, many households are still forced to seek affordability outside central cities. Meanwhile, build-to-rent developers are capitalizing on the need from people who can't afford homeownership but want the space and amenities offered by single-family homes.
FULL STORY: How the Pandemic Supercharged Sprawl

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.

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.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall
A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work
Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle
Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.
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