Americans have been storing a staggering amount of personal belongings in self-storage units. But along with the foreclosure crisis, storage companies are now seeing people foreclose on their lockers.
"For critics of America's shopaholic culture, there's no starker symbol of materialism run amok than the ubiquitous self-storage locker. Concrete and steel bunkers, crammed to the hilt with TVs, couches and other sundry accumulations, have sprung up on just about every spare patch of dirt in recent years.
It may be hard for Canadians to grasp just how massive the self-storage industry has become in the U.S. In the span of a decade, the amount of storage space south of the border has more than doubled to 2.2 billion sq. feet - an area larger than the total land mass of Manhattan and San Francisco combined. Nearly 55,000 storage facilities line interstates, clutter industrial parks, and have taken root in suburbs. By some estimates, one in 10 U.S. households - or more than a million homeowners - now rent a locker.
They also seem to be essential for people going through change. The increase in the number of storage sites in recent years has been linked to things like rising divorce rates, the aging population, the propensity of Americans to pick up and move for work, and the large number of U.S. troops serving overseas. By one count, military personnel account for seven per cent of all locker rentals. Which is why investors have been so bullish on the sector lately - if there's anything America is experiencing right now, it's upheaval."
FULL STORY: Getting stuffed
Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs
Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.
HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands
The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.
Conservatives’ Decongestion Pricing Flip-Flop
When it comes to solving traffic problems, the current federal administration is on track for failure, waste, and hypocrisy.
Can Geothermal Energy Fuel Hawaiʻi’s Future?
Gavin Murphy, a New Zealand-based consultant with experience in indigenous-led geothermal projects, argues that Hawaiʻi is poised to achieve energy independence and economic growth by respectfully developing its untapped geothermal resources.
Climate Gardening: Cultivating Resilient Landscapes in Los Angeles
TreePeople’s 4th Annual Urban Soil Symposium explored how climate gardening, soil health, and collaborative land management strategies can enhance urban resilience in the face of climate change.
Electric Surge: EV Chargers Outnumber Gas Nozzles in California
California now has 48% more electric vehicle chargers than gasoline nozzles, reflecting its rapid shift toward clean transportation and aggressive zero-emission goals despite federal pushback.
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.
Florida Atlantic University
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
City of Piedmont, CA
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland