Michael Dudley

<p>For the first time since 1945, home equity rates in the U.S. have dropped to below 50% -- figures that could worsen if home prices continue to drop.</p>

<p>New York has become a concentration of the super-wealthy, and soaring real estate values are driving out supermarkets. Will street vendors be able to fill the gap?</p>

<p>Canada's new federal budget allocates $500 million for public transit and makes a "permanent" commitment to allocating a portion of the gas tax to municipalities for infrastructure-related spending. But is it enough?</p>

<p>Ubiquitous access to GPS data and social software is generating a whole new breed of cartographers who are empowering themselves and others by mapping everything from community assets to occurrence of disease.</p>

<p>Suburban Torontonians will get a $6 billion light rail service, thanks to a newly-announced extension funded by the provincial and federal governments.</p>