If the small city of Otsego, located 30 miles from Minneapolis, is a guide, sprawl may be poised to make a comeback as the housing market roars back to life. But larger indicators point to a withdrawal from sprawl.
During the housing bust of the last half-decade, suburban and edge developments were among the hardest hit by the decline in home prices and dip in construction, while the attraction of inner suburbs and urban centers held strong.
Accordingly, during this time, "[t]he price of sprawl has become been increasingly undeniable," writes Shaila Dewan. "Moderate-income families have seen their transportation costs balloon to more than a quarter [PDF] of their income. Cities have discovered that low-density developments fail to pay for their own infrastructure. More recently, a new study of economic mobility suggested that sprawl, and its accompanying lack of transportation options, prevented access to higher paying jobs."
"Undoubtedly, cities have undergone a resurgence, bringing bike lanes and car-sharing, mixed-use rezoning and luxury rentals into vogue," she adds. "But some question remains as to how sweeping the change has been. In 2011, the National Association of Home Builders’ members reported that they expected their customers’ ideal home size to shrink. But the median home size in the country has continued to rise, reaching a record high in 2012 [PDF]."
FULL STORY: Is Suburban Sprawl on Its Way Back?

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.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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