A summary look at why the housing affordability crisis continues to exist in major metro areas of the country.
The housing market boom is said to have passed its peak last year. But that just means housing prices are now increasing at a decreasing rate! They are set to appreciate by 5% this year, and compounded with other increases such a gasoline prices, the squeeze just gets tighter.
"The consequences are reshaping cities and the lives of millions of Americans. They're affecting children, families, schools, hospitals, businesses and all levels of government -- from nurses, teachers and firefighters who can't afford to live in the communities where they work, to elderly renters who have been forced to leave their homes because those apartments were converted to condos they couldn't afford to buy."
The article provides a good summary of median home prices by metro areas and their appreciation since 2000. (But neglects to list the median incomes.)
Read the full story: Buyers in more markets find housing out of reach
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
40 years after approval, Chicago breaks ground on new park
The park honors Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, the city’s first permanent non-native settler.
‘Hoodwinked:’ New Mexico bill aimed at microgrids paves way for data center development
In an interview with High Country News, Padilla said the legislation “ignited” New Mexico's economy.
California’s ‘unrecognizable’ water plan may go down the drain
After four years of regulatory processes, water agencies say the plan to overhaul how cities and farms take water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta has changed dramatically.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
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.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority