This column from The Washington Post looks at the housing and development trends presented by the American Institute of Architects' Home Design Trends survey.
"Because they work at the front end of the development process, architects are bellwethers of the building industry, signaling changing trends in design, the real estate market and the economy. These days, they're giving mixed signals."
"The good news is that 'homeowners are looking for neighborhoods and communities designed to include greater access to public transportation, recreation, commercial and entertainment options.'"
"Architects also report rising demand for infill housing, 'where smaller land parcels closer to urban centers are targeted for development.'"
"These positive trends are not surprising given the escalating energy and transportation costs, worsening traffic congestion and long commuting times experienced by millions of suburbanites."
Read the full story: Looking for a Clue to the Future? Ask an Architect.
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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.
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City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority