How walkable neighborhoods are is playing an increasingly important role in decisions about where to buy homes.
"'Everyone wants to know now how close they are to stores,' says Linda Duggan, an owner of The Duggan Group real-estate agency. She recently had clients who, given a choice between a house in Danville, Calif., and another that was bigger, newer, $300,000 cheaper-and 20 minutes farther from town-chose the first one. Earlier this year Scott Newman, of Newman Realty in Chicago, started highlighting how close his listings are to amenities. The number of amenities in walking distance can vary sharply from block to block, he adds."
Real estate agents are trying to give prospective buyers a better idea about what sort of neighborhood they're buying with their house, and websites like Walk Score quantify walkability.
FULL STORY: A Walker's Guide to Home Buying
NYC Expats Struggle With Their Decision to Leave
Strong place attachment makes it difficult for New Yorkers to settle into their new homes, but many are finding ways to recreate their favorite parts of the city elsewhere.
Starter Homes Are a Non-Starter
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Realtors Discover Demand for Walkable Places
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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion
The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.
Since Zion's Shuttles Went Electric “The Smog is Gone”
Visitors to Zion National Park can enjoy the canyon via the nation’s first fully electric park shuttle system.
Trump Distributing DOT Safety Funds at 1/10 Rate of Biden
Funds for Safe Streets and other transportation safety and equity programs are being held up by administrative reviews and conflicts with the Trump administration’s priorities.
German Cities Subsidize Taxis for Women Amid Wave of Violence
Free or low-cost taxi rides can help women navigate cities more safely, but critics say the programs don't address the root causes of violence against women.
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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.
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Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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