Equity refuges from the Golden State are driving up home prices, increasing traffic, liberalizing politics and bringing crime to cities in the Interior West.
"Complaining about Californians is an old tradition in the Rockies; but it is reaching a new intensity. Five million people who were born in California now live outside the state. They are America's second-biggest domestic diaspora, after New Yorkers, and the most noticeable. California is by far the most populous state in the West-and still growing rapidly. It has become a demographic machine, drawing in foreigners while disgorging its own population across the deserts and mountains. In the process, it transforms those areas."
"The exiles' most obvious impact is on housing. 'People from California, who pay a fortune for tiny places, find this to be an appealing market,' says Rocky Anderson, the mayor of Salt Lake City...In Daybreak, a development south of Salt Lake City, many of the big houses are sold not to local Mormons (who have the largest families) but to new arrivals from the west."
"[And] although Denver does not have a Crenshaw Boulevard, it has a Crenshaw Mafia gang, which is named after a street in Los Angeles."
FULL STORY: Dreams of Californication
Only Two US Metro Areas Are Affordable for Homebuyers
Northeast Ohio is the last remaining bastion of housing affordability, according to an analysis from the National Association of Realtors.
When ‘Prioritizing All Modes’ Is a Lie
In many cases, it’s impossible to prioritize the safety of pedestrians and other vulnerable road users without sacrificing some speed.
Great Album Covers with Urban Planning Themes
Album covers that evoke urban themes.
Musk ‘Supercomputer’ Raises Water, Power, and Pollution Concerns in Memphis
The facility, which was completed in just 122 days, was rushed through so quickly, it is still missing environmental permits and infrastructure needed to ensure it doesn’t put stress on the grid or local water supply.
School Drop-Off Traffic Is Causing a Congestion — and Social — Crisis
School drop-off lines are becoming longer and more isolating than ever.
Extraction on Tribal Lands Contributes to State Coffers
A recent investigation reveals that profits from oil, grazing, and other uses on state-managed tribal lands are funding off-reservation public institutions.
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.
City of Riverside
City of Palmdale
City of Palmdale
Knoxville-Knox County Planning
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
Lehigh Valley Planning Commission
City of Calabasas
City of Portland, ME