This paper argues that the American dream of accumulating wealth and owning a home creates demand for housing at the edge of metropolitan areas, inadvertently weakening cities and older suburbs.
This report argues that there is an important, almost inevitable, housing dynamic that shapes many major metropolitan areas, particularly those in the Midwest. As households accumulate wealth, they tend to buy bigger and more expensive homes, and these homes are often located farther out at the edges of metropolitan areas. This pull to the suburbs creates housing vacancies or less investment in homes located in central cities and older suburbs, which in turn, can further erode existing neighborhoods and push more families outward. The paper examines this homebuying and housing cycle in Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Columbus, Ohio metropolitan areas and offers a number of strategies that state and local leaders should take to help stem some of the negative effects of this pattern. [Complete 28-page report available in PDF format.]
Thanks to Kurt Sommer
FULL STORY: Moving Up, Filtering Down: Metropolitan Housing Dynamics and Public Policy

America’s Best New Bike Lanes
PeopleForBikes highlights some of the most exciting new bike infrastructure projects completed in 2022.

Massachusetts Zoning Reform Law Reaches First Deadline
Cities and towns had until January 31 to submit their draft plans for rezoning areas near transit stations to comply with a new state law.

Green Alleys: A New Paradigm for Stormwater Management
Rather than shuttling stormwater away from the city and into the ocean as quickly as possible, Los Angeles is now—slowly—moving toward a ‘city-as-sponge’ approach that would capture and reclaim more water to recharge crucial reservoirs.

Conspiracy Theorists Discover the 15-Minute City
USA Today debunks the false claim that the United Nations’ call for enabling 15-minute cities is a coded plan to institute ‘climate change lockdowns.’

HUD Grants Total $315 Million for Continuum of Care for the Unhoused
An unprecedented federal grant program, announced earlier this month, will support continuum of care for the unhoused in unsheltered and rural settings.

Seattle Historic District Could Remove Street Dining
Despite the popularity of Ballard Avenue’s outdoor dining pergolas, some district board members argue the patios don’t match the district’s historic character.
Ascent Environmental
California Polytechnic State University
City of Albuquerque Planning Department
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard GSD Executive Education
City of Hercules
City of Fitchburg, WI
City of Culver City
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.