A diverse collection of people sleep in McDonald's restaurants in Hong Kong, either because they live too far from their work or because they are more comfortable in the air-conditioned restaurants than at home.
Some in Hong Kong would rather sleep in McDonald's restaurants than in substandard housing or among family they do not get along with. Five years ago, Junior Chamber International’s Tai Ping Shan branch conducted a similar study and has found the number of people sleeping in McDonald's had tripled. "A branch in Tsuen Wan hosted more than 30 sleepers, the highest among all branches, according to the latest study," Shirley Zhao reports for South China Morning Post.
Because of housing prices, many in the city do not have the living situation they want, either because they live farther from their work than they like or because the conditions in their homes are uncomfortable. Hong Kong's public housing waiting list includes more than a quarter million people.
"Researchers were able to interview 53 McRefugees aged between 19 and 79 in depth, and found 57 per cent of them had a job and 71 per cent of them had flats that they rented or owned, contrary to the common belief that these people tended to be jobless and homeless," Zhao reports.
Home Prices, Demand on Downward Trajectory
The once-overheated housing market continues to cool as rising interest rates reduce demand.
Austin Metro Home Sales Slow Dramatically
After a whirlwind of rising costs and sharply spiking demand for housing in smaller cities, the housing market is cooling down to pre-pandemic levels.
U.S. Housing Prices Continue Record-Breaking Pace
July marked four straight months of record-breaking increases for housing prices nationwide, according to the latest housing market data.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.
With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike
For those needing more ammo, more data proving what we already knew is here.
In More Metros Than You’d Think, Suburbs are Now More Expensive Than the City
If you're moving to the burbs to save on square footage, data shows you should think again.
The States Losing Rural Delivery Rooms at an Alarming Pace
In some states, as few as 9% of rural hospitals still deliver babies. As a result, rising pre-term births, no adequate pre-term care and "harrowing" close calls are a growing reality.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)