Surging oil wealth, a huge provincial surplus, and a booming real estate market make Calgary the new "centre of the universe" in Canada.
"The city boasts the highest GDP per capita in the country. In its concentration of corporate head offices, Calgary is second only to Toronto. Office space runs at the national high, fetching more than $40 a square foot in the most desirable buildings -- when it can be found. Last year, rents soared 49 per cent. Yellow cranes hover over the downtown cityscape...[s]ome 19.5 million square feet of real estate is currently under construction or being marketed, 6.7 million square feet of it downtown.
The residential housing market is also aflame. Resale house prices rose more than 18 per cent in February over the previous year, three times the national average. Ten years ago, the sale of a million-dollar house was rare. Now it's commonplace.
With no sales tax and a flat provincial tax, Alberta, with zero debt and a budget surplus of more than $10 billion, has become a wealth magnet."
FULL STORY: Swingin' Calgary
Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?
Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?
Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.
Updating LA’s Tree Rules Could Bring More Shade to Underserved Neighborhoods
A new USC study finds that relaxing Los Angeles’ outdated tree planting guidelines could significantly expand urban tree canopy and reduce shade disparities in lower-income neighborhoods, though infrastructure investments are also needed.
California's Canal Solar Projects Aim to Conserve Resources and Expand Clean Energy
California’s Project Nexus has begun generating electricity from solar panels installed over irrigation canals, with researchers and state agencies exploring statewide expansion to conserve water and boost clean energy production.
HHS Staff Cuts Gut Energy Assistance Program
The full staff of a federal program that distributes heating and cooling assistance for low-income families was laid off, jeopardizing the program’s operations.
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.
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Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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