New data show the resilience of walkable commercial areas through the recent recession. Parking minimums, however, prevent new projects from taking advantage of the strengths of such development patterns.
"Neighborhood walkability has been a huge asset for commercial landlords during the recovery from the 2008 recession," reports Matthew Yglesias using a dataset from Moody's and Real Capital Analytics that breaks down commercial real estate prices by WalkScore.
From an infographic created for the dataset, Yglesias produces the following conclusion: "whether it's in suburbs or in central business districts, prices have rebounded from the recession much more strongly in walkable areas than in car-dependent ones…"
As for why that might be, Yglesias argues that car-based retail has suffered the impacts of online retail services like Amazon. "Bars, restaurants, and homey shops that don't compete directly with Amazon work better in walkable areas."
FULL STORY: Neighborhood walkability is good for the commercial real estate bottom line
When Wall Street Controls the Housing Market
A debate about the effect of the increasing footprint of large, institutional investors in the housing market is further fragmenting the politics of development in the United States.
'The Great Real Estate Reset'
Business as usual in the real estate industry is failing the economy and the political and social cohesion of the United States, according to a new initiative launched by the Brookings Institution.
Wall Street Wagering on a Permanent Suburban Renter Class
Expectations that the economic downturn of the COVID-19 pandemic will create a wave of homeowners leaving the market, whether by choice or necessity, are driving big acquisitions by private equity firms and Wall Street investors.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename DC Metro “Trump Train”
The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the system until the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA).
The Simple Legislative Tool Transforming Vacant Downtowns
In California, Michigan and Georgia, an easy win is bringing dollars — and delight — back to city centers.
DC Backpedals on Bike Lane Protection, Swaps Barriers for Paint
Citing aesthetic concerns, the city is removing the concrete barriers and flexposts that once separated Arizona Avenue cyclists from motor vehicles.
In These Cities, Most New Housing is Under 441 Square Feet
With loosened restrictions on “micro-housing,” tiny units now make up as much as 66% of newly constructed housing.
Albuquerque’s Microtransit: A Planner’s Answer to Food Access Gaps
New microtransit vans in Albuquerque aim to close food access gaps by linking low-income areas to grocery stores, cutting travel times by 30 percent and offering planners a scalable model for equity-focused transit.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)