It's surprisingly common to find cities where land is worth more than buildings. Start with California, for instance.
Yuqing Pan writes of a fundamental fact of the real estate market, and one that contributes to the high costs of housing in some parts of the country:
Welcome to the realties of modern real estate math: While both physical structure and land contribute to the value of a home, those two components don’t hold their value equally, especially in the most desirable markets. Over time, the physical structure usually depreciates in value, while land appreciates. That’s because the property is in limited supply.
Writing for Realtor.com, Pan used data data from the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy to pinpoint "10 housing markets where land accounts for more than half of a home’s total value." Those cities, with more details on each included in the article, follow:
- San Francisco
- San Jose
- Santa Ana
- Oakland
- Los Angeles
- San Diego
- Boston
- Miami
- Seattle
- Portland, Oregon
You know your geography if you noticed that the first six cities listed are located in California.
FULL STORY: Not Dirt-Cheap: 10 Cities Where Land Is Worth More Than the Home on It
The Land Value Tax Explained
A Vox article and podcast delve into the wonky but thought-provoking reasoning behind the land value tax.
The Case for Selling Air Rights
Scott Beyer argues that more compact, vertically-oriented cities, like Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, and Washington D.C., should sell the air rights above public projects.
What the ‘Walk Score’ Misses
A popular walkability assessment omits key factors that impact different demographics and can direct development resources to already wealthy neighborhoods.
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.
The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.
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.
With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike
For those needing more ammo, more data proving what we already knew is here.
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.
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)