Homeownership
The 'American Dream' Gets a Rewrite
A new survey has revealed that the housing bust has taken a toll on the fabled "American Dream," with the majority of respondents asserting that policies should be directed "to encourage rentals equally as much as home purchases."
Is There a Link Between Homeownership and Civic Participation?
It has long been assumed by politicians, and others, that homeowners are more likely to invest in contributing to the well-being of their neighborhoods than renters. A new report seems to support those assumptions.
Why Buying a Home Now Isn't the Bargain You Might Think
With home prices at their lowest in a decade and mortgage rates at historic lows, one would thing buying a home now would be significantly cheaper than it was five years ago. Not so, says a new study.
The "Crazy Days" of Homeownership Are Over - But That's a Good Thing
Sara Robinson explains how the historical view of American homeownership -- that of a life-long commitment to place and "housey goodness" with no expectation of financial gain -- may be coming back.
After the Crash: How Will People Live and Spend in the New Economy?
Kathleen Madigan takes a look at new research that considers the shift in America's living situations, and what it means for consumer behavior.
Onward, Singapore: Setting the New Standard for Urban Innovation
Boyd Cohen takes us through a brief tour of the Lion City's many progressive and wildly successful programs, from affordable housing to traffic management and beyond.
Is Homeownership Liberating or Limiting for Single Women?
As single women buy homes in unprecedented quantities, and much more frequently than men, Kate Bolick asks if female homeownership is liberating or limiting.
The Risks and Opportunities of Globalization as Reflected in Homeownership
Jonathan Massey pens an essay in the journal Places, in which he probes the implications of homeownership as the vehicle by which the microeconomics of household finance and the macroeconomics of a globalized economy are mediated.
The 'Sword and Shield' Approach to Preventing Foreclosure Evictions
An innovative tenants-rights organization in Boston combines community activism and financial backing to force banks to sell foreclosed homes back to the previous owners.
More Immigrants Moving to Midsize Cities
According to new research, immigrant homeownership is shifting from large cities like New York and Los Angeles to smaller ones like Las Vegas and Minneapolis.
Americans Spending More On Housing Than Ever
18.6 million American households –renters and homeowners alike – spend more than half their income on housing, according to a new study by Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies.
Canadians Overinvested in Their Homes, Says Florida
Richard Florida writes that Canadians great love for homebuying (with a greater home ownership rate than even the U.S.) could be economically instable.
City Officials Try to Thwart Apartment Buildings
Officials in Reynoldsburg, Ohio are pushing through strict design guidelines with expensive requirements in an attempt to encourage high-end condos over rental apartments.
Accustomed to Decline, One Neighborhood in Flint Bucks Trend
Take two seemingly unrelated words: Flint and Gentrification. Now put them together. What you get is an unexpected rebirth in one part of the struggling city -- a neighborhood where home ownership and community investment are actually increasing.
Steep Decline in Homeownership, Home Building Predicted
A new report shows that as the population of the U.S. ages, it is likely that more people will rent than own homes, causing a steep decline in the home building industry.
Affordable Mortgage Plan a Flop, Says Frank
The Hope for Homeowners Act was designed to allow foreclosed homeowners to keep their homes by drawing up new and more affordable mortgages for qualified applicants. Barney Frank is one of many proclaiming it a failure.
The American Dream in Reverse
With housing prices out of reach for many immigrants in the U.S., more and more are investing in houses in their home countries -- and their governments and local lenders are doing all they can to encourage it.
Ending the Ideology of Homeownership
Paul Krugman writes that we need to stop conflating owing a home with citizenship.
Physical Effects Of The Declining Housing Market
This week, the Economist’s cover story, "The trouble with the housing market," details the downward-spiraling "subprime" mortgage market and its potential effects on the U.S. economy. The collapsing market certainly poses problems to Wall Street traders and taxpayers in general, but what about the physical toll it's taking on our cities? Abandoned, foreclosed homes now increasingly dot the nation's inner ring suburbs, helping spread neighborhood decline out from inner cities, while developers build more homes farther into the urban periphery.
Who Pays for the Subprime Lender Meltdown?
Scrambling to grab that elusive “American Dream” of homeownership, millions plunged into the subprime mortgage market to build wealth through appreciation (if not speculation). Pundits cheered as the ownership rate crept up, lauding the pluck of aspirational minority and immigrant families.There’s a reason it is called subprime, though. Lenders offered a smorgasborg of loan “products,” but the bottom line was that they are all very costly for the borrower – often entailing adjustable-rate surprises in the 30 percent or higher range.
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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)
