Officials in China are moving to implement a handful of strategies to combat the housing slump, including tax breaks, smaller down-payment requirements and lower loan rates for first-time buyers.
"Just a year ago, enthusiasm for housing knew few bounds, as people all around China lined up outside new housing developments for the first chance to buy. But worries grew that a bubble was developing, and the government stepped in with measures aimed at deterring speculative buyers and taking some of the froth out of housing prices. Those seemed to be working as intended -- until the global financial crisis frightened consumers and sucked away much of the optimism about China's prospects.
Housing sales, which at one point last year were rising by more than 50% from a year earlier, softened early this year, and are now plunging. Floor space sold dropped 36% in August. Average nationwide housing prices have fallen month-on-month in both August and September, and growth in new construction is slowing sharply as developers, squeezed for cash, have to cut back.
"Now everybody believes the price will go down. And the developers don't want to sell at a lower price. Nobody wants to sell, and nobody wants to buy," says William Xin, chief financial officer of China Housing & Land Development Inc., a developer in the western city of Xi'an."
FULL STORY: China Aids Home Buyers to Curb Impact of Slump

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.

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

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall
A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work
Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle
Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.
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