More than violent crime or employment rates, foreclosure has largely driven the exodus of hundreds of thousands of Black residents from the city.

In "the first econometric analysis of the variety of factors that might be pushing Black residents out of the Windy City," researchers "found that foreclosures were the best predictor of Black population loss in Chicago" between 2010 and 2018.
"The authors and Loury are not arguing that violent crime, or other social ills, aren’t a factor in Black flight," writes Jake Blumgart, reporting on the study in Governing. But other factors have long-term effects that can take years to lead to displacement. "A family can live amid gun violence for years, but the effect of foreclosure is immediate." Simply put, writes Blumgart, "You can’t stay in the neighborhood if you don’t have a home."
Journalist Alden Loury "points out that two of the communities that have seen the steepest decline in Black population, Englewood and West Englewood on Chicago’s South Side, were also at the heart of the city’s foreclosure crisis."
"The authors suggest interventions like reducing penalties for overdue residential property taxes and policies like Philadelphia’s Longtime Owner Occupants Program, which cap taxable value on a home for long-term homeowners under 150 percent of area median income." They also suggest robust public awareness campaigns to make residents aware of these programs.
FULL STORY: Foreclosure Crisis Driving Black Flight in Chicago: Study

New York Governor Advances Housing Plan Amid Stiff Suburban Opposition
Governor Kathy Hochul’s ambitious proposal to create more housing has once again run into a brick wall of opposition in New York’s enormous suburbs, especially on Long Island. This year, however, the wall may have some cracks.

Rethinking the Role of Parking in the American City
In cities big and small, the tide is turning against sprawling parking lots, car-centric development, and minimum parking mandates.

Friday Eye Candy: 20 AI-Generated Cityscapes
AI-generated images are creating new landscapes and cityscapes, capable of inspiring awe or fear.

Planners Look to ‘Activity Centers’ for Sustainable Development
Existing hubs of ‘hyperlocal’ economic activity provide a model for urban density.

Federal E-Bike Rebate Bill Reintroduced
The bill, part of an effort to encourage active transportation for short trips and take cars off U.S. roads, would cover 30 percent of the cost of an electric bike.

Green Infrastructure Toolkit Launches on World Water Day
The Green Infrastructure Toolkit lists 25 actions local governments can take to transform crusty, impermeable urban landscapes into vibrant, spongy ecosystems that preserve water as a resource and protect against its potential destruction in floods.
Houston-Galveston Area Council
Houston-Galveston Area Council
City of Tulare
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Spearfish
City of Lomita
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.