Long commute + High Fuel Costs = Home Losses in Exurbs.
You can commute to New York City from the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, according to developers who promoted exurban living back in the early days of the housing bubble. But by 2005, foreclosures in the Poconos region rose above 500; by 2009 the number of foreclosures had quadrupled to 2000. Analysts say one cause is the cost of the extreme commute.
Scott Bernstein with The Center for Neighborhood Technology noted the pattern in the Chicago area and mapped it: the farther out from the city center, the higher the foreclosure rate. Scott told WNYC reporter Andrea Bernstein 2008 was the tipping point, as gas hit $4.30 a gallon: "The cost of housing was apparently low enough to attract people, but the cost of transportation is so high that you couldn't afford to live there anymore."
HUD knows its an issue, and is trying to promote new housing in locations with shorter commutes.
FULL STORY: Gas prices drive up foreclosures
Silicon Valley Isn't Really Over
Though a handful of recent articles predicted "peak Silicon Valley," new numbers show the region is still producing lots of good jobs and attracting plenty of venture capital.
The Natalist Case For Sprawl (And Why It Fails)
Some commentators defend anti-urban government policies such as exclusionary zoning on the basis that homeowning suburbanites have high birth rates. But this doesn't seem to be true in recent decades.
Beyond Congestion Pricing: Strategies for Revolutionizing Urban Mobility
How cities are leveraging data and technology to improve their transportation networks and reduce traffic.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename DC Metro “Trump Train”
The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the system until the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA).
The Simple Legislative Tool Transforming Vacant Downtowns
In California, Michigan and Georgia, an easy win is bringing dollars — and delight — back to city centers.
The States Losing Rural Delivery Rooms at an Alarming Pace
In some states, as few as 9% of rural hospitals still deliver babies. As a result, rising pre-term births, no adequate pre-term care and harrowing close calls are a growing reality.
The Small South Asian Republic Going all in on EVs
Thanks to one simple policy change less than five years ago, 65% of new cars in this Himalayan country are now electric.
DC Backpedals on Bike Lane Protection, Swaps Barriers for Paint
Citing aesthetic concerns, the city is removing the concrete barriers and flexposts that once separated Arizona Avenue cyclists from motor vehicles.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)