In the United States, homeownership has long been touted as a sign of personal success and national prosperity. But a comparison of homeownership levels to economic health across 41 countries shows an inverse correlation.
Using data from Pew and the World Bank, Richard Florida and Charoltta Mellander have reached some surprising findings regarding homeownership and economic development.
Their research indicates that "[l]ess developed countries have consistently higher levels of homeownership, while more advanced nations combine higher levels of economic development with substantially lower levels of homeownership." For example, Switzerland, "which has the lowest rate of homeownership among the countries Pew studied, is one of the the world's richest and most advanced countries..." While less-developed Eastern European nations like Slovakia and Lithuania have some of the highest homeownership levels.
"American political rhetoric tends to equate rising homeownership rates with strong economic development," adds Florida. "Instead, the opposite is true. The rate of homeownership declines as nations get wealthier."
FULL STORY: Why the U.S. Needs to Fall Out of Love With Homeownership
Toronto Condo Sales Drop 75%
In two of Canada’s most expensive cities, more condos were built than ever — and sales are plummeting.
In More Metros Than You’d Think, Suburbs are Now More Expensive Than the City
If you're moving to the burbs to save on square footage, data shows you should think again.
ADUs for Sale? San Diego Could Legalize Backyard Condos
As one of 25 proposed amendments, San Diego may soon allow accessory dwelling units to be bought and sold as individual homes.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
Can We Please Give Communities the Design They Deserve?
Often an afterthought, graphic design impacts everything from how we navigate a city to how we feel about it. One designer argues: the people deserve better.
Engineers Gave America's Roads an Almost Failing Grade — Why Aren't We Fixing Them?
With over a trillion dollars spent on roads that are still falling apart, advocates propose a new “fix it first” framework.
The European Cities That Love E-Scooters — And Those That Don’t
Where they're working, where they're banned, and where they're just as annoying the tourists that use them.
Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands
For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”
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)