Smart Growth
Federal Regulations at Odds with Demand for Urban Housing
The real estate market is undergoing the most rapid period of change in a generation -- and the shift is decidedly urban. A succession of recent studies have found there is an under-supply of urban-style housing -- attached and small-lot, single-family homes -- on the scale of about 13 million units. On the other hand, there is an estimated oversupply of detached housing in the car-based suburbs of about 28 million units.
July 26, 2011
Meet the Obscure Unelected Agencies Strangling Many U.S. Cities
Do you know the name of your local Metropolitan Planning Organization or Council of Government? Most Americans don't. In fact, most people probably have no idea these agencies even exist, let alone what they do. Yet they are surprisingly powerful and play a substantial role in shaping the places where we live and work.
July 21, 2011
Smart Growth to Blame For the Housing Crash? Not By a Long Shot.
This guest post was written by Abigail Gardner of Smart Growth America.
June 16, 2011
How Seniors Get Stuck at Home With No Transit Options
According to AARP, 88 percent of seniors want to stay in their own homes as long as they can. But where are those homes? In auto-dependent suburbs. That’s where most Baby Boomers grew up, in the postwar era, and that’s where most of them have stayed – even as the largest (and longest-living) generation ever enters its golden years.
June 14, 2011
How Car Dependency Turns Suburban Dreams into Foreclosure Nightmares
According to an analysis by the Center for Neighborhood Technology of 2002 mortgage data, 250 people applied for mortgages every day in Chicago, and only 150 were approved. The top reason for rejecting the other 100? Applicants had too much credit tied up in car ownership.
June 7, 2011
Is the Realtors’ Survey Really a Ringing Endorsement of Smart Growth?
Urbanists are celebrating the results of the National Association of Realtors’ 2011 Community Preference Survey, which, according to the NAR, shows a clear preference for mixed uses, shorter commutes, and transportation options. The survey shows that people are asking for more walkable amenities and shorter commutes: a good sign.
April 19, 2011
“Drill Baby Drill” Won’t Solve America’s Energy Problems
House Republicans are calling for offshore oil drilling as an answer to foreign oil dependency and high gas prices -- and they're not the only ones. President Obama recently announced his intention to cut oil imports by one-third by 2025, partly by increasing domestic production was the answer to the country's energy woes. In his speech announcing the plan, Obama barely mentioned transit and land use, even though more and more evidence points to these as real solutions for high gas prices.
April 11, 2011
Money-Saving Planning Effort Squelched by Maine Gov. Paul LePage
For six years, retiree Don White has been representing the town of Camden as part of a committee working to preserve the character of rural communities along Route 1 in Mid-Coast Maine.
March 4, 2011
EPA: Energy Efficiency Is About Location, Location, Location
Where we live has an enormous impact on energy use, according to new research commissioned by the EPA. The report, "Location Efficiency and Housing Type -- Boiling It Down to BTUs" finds that Americans use far less energy if they live in an apartment building in a transit-oriented neighborhood than if they live in a detached suburban house, even if that house has green building features and sports fuel-efficient cars in the driveway.
March 3, 2011
EPA Recognizes Cities for Using Smart Growth Tools That Get Seniors Active
Sprawl can take a disproportionate toll on older people. Their eyesight might make them nervous about driving at night, or unable to drive at all. It can take them a long time to cross wide, high-traffic arterial roads. Poor transit options can make them feel like a burden on others whom they depend on for rides, or can leave them stranded at home. Besides, if they don’t have places to walk to, the effects of aging can creep up faster on those who aren’t out getting regular exercise.
February 8, 2011