The Mexican government built houses for five million citizens in the last decade, only to see those houses abandoned en masse after sprawling patterns out stretched demand.
"As cities in the increasingly urbanized developing world struggle to provide housing for low-income workers, Mexico’s housing saga illustrates the drawbacks of building developments with little heed to location or sustainability," according to an article by Victoria Burnett.
In this case, a program, "initially hailed by some experts as the answer to Mexico’s chronic housing deficit, fueled a frenzy of construction and helped inspire similar efforts in Latin America and beyond."
To explain the details of the fallout of the program, Burnett writes: "Thousands of homeowners have returned to the capital, leaving their houses prey to squatters and criminals. About 14 percent of Mexico’s 35 million homes are unoccupied; in Zumpango, that number is closer to 40 percent, according to research published last year by the Spanish bank BBVA."
The article includes more on the experience of life in places like Zumpango as well as what it will take for Mexico to find balance in its housing market.
Read the full story: They Built It. People Came. Now They Go.
Lack of Multi-Family Zones Contributes to Nashville’s High Housing Costs, Study Says
Nashville and surrounding communities allow for a relatively small amount of multi-family housing, according to a new zoning atlas of Middle Tennessee. A regionally focused nonprofit is using the atlas to push for zoning reforms.
Left-NIMBYism and COVID-19
The events of the past year shows that the law of supply and demand applies to urban housing, and that gentrification can, in fact, be subdued.
Suburban Poverty Rising in Atlanta
Driven by economic and demographic trends, poverty in "outer ring" suburbs is on the rise. Since 2000, Atlanta's suburbs have seen the highest rate of change in poverty of any comparable metro region.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
‘Going backwards:’ Baltimore mayor, students rally against state's transit funding plan
Maryland's proposed six-year plan provides no funding for Baltimore’s BMORE bus program and reduces its road maintenance funding.
Detroit to transform waterfront with $2.2 billion investment
Developers will convert about 18 acres of unused parking lot space into civic spaces.
Senate bill would ‘overhaul’ environmental permitting laws
Under the proposed act, government agencies would also not be able to suspend or rescind permits after granting them.
Exemption applications for NYC’s pied-à-terre tax see 55% success rate
The city sent nearly 40% of its initial pied-à-terre tax warnings erroneously.
MTA invests $1.1 billion in ‘nearly-impossible’-to-evade fare gates
The new technology marks the Metropolitan Transit Authority's first turnstile redesign in decades.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
One Hundred Miles
County of Mendocino
planning NEXT
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
Montrose County
Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA)
The Pocatello Development Authority