An Australian columnist discusses the unfair disparities in home values Down Under.
"Our house has at least doubled in value since we bought it 10 years ago, or so I'm told. It's a typical Sydney story...we've done absolutely nothing to deserve this windfall...Too many people in Sydney, and too little land, did the work for us, driving up the prices...This ludicrous house-price inflation, if it continues, will eventually force my children, along with other first-time home-buyers, into outer Mongolia...House price inflation is crazy, it's destructive, it helps no one except speculators and real estate agents...[certain government interventions] could help modify the crazy house-price inflation. Instead we pay millions of dollars in first-homeowner grants to people who don't really need the money. Most recipients would buy a house without the grant, just not quite so soon...Millions of Australians need secure, stable, decent housing and can't afford it...We need some government intervention to make the housing market sensible and fair."
Thanks to David Gest
FULL STORY: Caught in the poverty of wealth

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

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.

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?
Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

In California Battle of Housing vs. Environment, Housing Just Won
A new state law significantly limits the power of CEQA, an environmental review law that served as a powerful tool for blocking new development.

Boulder Eliminates Parking Minimums Citywide
Officials estimate the cost of building a single underground parking space at up to $100,000.

Orange County, Florida Adopts Largest US “Sprawl Repair” Code
The ‘Orange Code’ seeks to rectify decades of sprawl-inducing, car-oriented development.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont