A little less emphasis on the suburban, and a little more emphasis on the urban.
Danielle Braff reports:
Newbies to Chicago’s suburbs are increasingly stowing cars and slipping into walking shoes.
No longer are McMansions, white picket fences and sprawling square footage topping suburban buyers’ most-wanted list. Instead, proximity to a suburb’s downtown and easy access to restaurants, schools and parks are priorities. For many, walkable suburbs reign supreme.
While that narrative might be familiar to many Planetizen readers, Braff's article coins a term that this editor hadn't yet encountered: "surban." John Burns, CEO of John Burns Real Estate, is credited with coining the term in the article, which he defines as "development that is bringing the best of urban to the suburb."
According to Braff's analysis of the market, developers and brokers have responded toward increasing demand for more urban suburbs.
FULL STORY: Chicagoland renters and buyers are itching for walkable suburbs. Enter 'surban.'
Philadelphia on Track to Build Record Number of Apartments in 2022
A researcher from the Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation at Drexel University tells a tale of two housing markets—rental and for-sale—in the City of Brotherly Love.
Urban For-Sale Markets Keeping Pace With the Suburbs, With Two Key Exceptions
Everywhere but San Francisco and New York City, urban housing markets are just as hot for sellers as suburban markets, according to data released recently by Zillow.
New Research Ties Lack of Density to Lack of Affordability in California
New research using the Terner Center California Residential Land Use Survey also connects demographic trends to housing development opposition.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
5 New England states march closer to 800 megawatt wind energy project
Securing federal approval for the project may be complicated under the Trump administration, which has historically been hostile towards domestic wind power.
Baltimore to break ground on $50 million Transit Priority Project
The project will bring faster bus trips, safer streets and better bike connections to Baltimore.
Airbnb launches $250 million 'last-dollar financing' housing accelerator, makes first investment in Austin
The company will put $6.4 million towards affordable housing development in Texas’ capital.
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.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association