As the housing market recovered nationwide, home values rose 5.1% across the U.S. between February 2012 and February 2013. In 10 of the major markets analyzed by Zillow, values rose more than 13%. In five of those, home values rose more than 20%.

Phoenix led the country in home value growth over the last year, shows data from Zillow, the real estate listing website. With 24% growth over the past year, the city's housing market is on its way back after bottoming out in the third quarter of 2011.
"Six of the 10 housing markets on the list are in California," notes Samuel Weigley, "which was hit harder by the housing downturn than most states. Three of the four metropolitan areas not in California — Detroit, Las Vegas and Phoenix — were also disproportionately hurt by the housing crisis. For example, in Las Vegas, home prices dropped 59% between the peak in the first quarter of 2006 and the third quarter of 2012."
"Home values do not necessarily rebound quickly after a major downturn, said Svenja Gudell, a senior economist with Zillow. However, many of the areas with the most growth in the past year, notably those around Silicon Valley, have remained desirable places to live. This has helped these areas recover at a faster clip compared to the rest of the country."
FULL STORY: The Hottest Housing Markets of 2013

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

Vehicle-related Deaths Drop 29% in Richmond, VA
The seventh year of the city's Vision Zero strategy also cut the number of people killed in alcohol-related crashes by half.

As Trump Phases Out FEMA, Is It Time to Flee the Floodplains?
With less federal funding available for disaster relief efforts, the need to relocate at-risk communities is more urgent than ever.

Texas Safety Advocates Raise Alarm in Advance of Tesla Robotaxi Launch
The company plans to deploy self-driving taxis in Austin with no oversight from state or local transportation agencies.

How to Fund SF’s Muni Without Cutting Service
Three solutions for bridging the San Francisco transit agency’s budget gap without reducing service for transit-dependent riders.

Austin Tests Self-Driving Bus
Autonomous buses could improve bus yard operations for electric fleets, according to CapMetro.
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.
Borough of Carlisle
Smith Gee Studio
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)