New findings published by Trulia, the real estate website, show the connection between home values and road names. "Boulevard" carries the most cache, and "street" the least, reports Lew Sichelman.
Research conducted by Trulia into the relationship between the median price per square foot of residences listed on the site and their address names reveals some interesting findings, and the potential for a nifty developer trick. "According to Trulia, an online real estate community, houses on 'boulevards' are the most expensive, selling for 36 percent more than homes located on 'streets.'" Of the 12 address designations with at least 10,000 homes for sale, "place" and "road" also earned high marks, averaging $110 and $109 a square foot respectively (compared to boulevard at $117).
"Why is "boulevard" the most expensive?" asks Sichelman. "Trulia says the word itself might have more to do with it than anything. After all, it does have something of a sophisticated French origin."
"Another factor, perhaps, is the mix of housing located on boulevards. Some 37 percent of the boulevard units were in multiunit apartment and condominium buildings, suggesting denser, urban settings where space is at a premium and housing costs are higher. By contrast, no more than 16 percent of the homes on the other paved paths were in multifamily buildings."
FULL STORY: A street by any other name could raise home value

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.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

The French Solution to Congested Tunnels: Make Them Car-Free
Bay Area transportation officials keep expanding car capacity. Lyon’s Croix Rousse Tunnel offers a different way.

Missouri Governor Reverses Anti-Discrimination Housing Policies
A new state law bars cities from prohibiting source-of-income discrimination against tenants using Section 8 housing vouchers.

USDOT Launches Unfunded 'SAFE ROADS' Program
The program targets “distractions” and “political messages or artwork,” and paves the way for autonomous 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.
City of Fort Worth
planning NEXT
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie