Failed investments and buildings with no tenants sit on the outskirts of Beijing and Shanghai.
The promise of fast rising home prices in China has attracted a lot of capital, but not all those investments have panned out: about a fifth of homes in urban areas have been bought and left vacant. "In recent decades, housing prices have risen nearly twice as fast as disposable income, according to Chen, who authored a report on the China’s housing boom in 2014 for the Federal Reserve Bank for St. Louis," Linda Poon reports for CityLab. Chinese investors hoping for high returns have continued to put money into this market. While some fear a bust, others don't see development slowing down as investors think the government will do what it can to avoid a crash.
FULL STORY: China’s Huge Number of Vacant Apartments Are Causing a Problem
Coronavirus Effects on the Global Transportation System
As the coronavirus continues to move across the globe, its effects on shared transportation modes and freight shipping are becoming more apparent.
Asian, Australian Property Markets Begin to Cool
Markets for residential property income of East Asia's most expensive cities are slowing down. The U.S.-China trade war is one factor, along with local controls and a mainland Chinese economy applying the brakes.
Population Limits Push Residents Out of Beijing and Shanghai
In top-tier Chinese cities like Shanghai and Beijing, new population caps have spurred the relocation of residents, many of them low-income, to smaller cities and the outskirts.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
HUD Cuts Could Derail Mortgage Underwriting Agency
Staffing cuts at the Federal Housing Administration could imperil affordable housing projects and mortgage programs for new homeowners.
University of Hawai‘i Appoints New Architecture School Dean
The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa has named Mo Zell as the new dean of its School of Architecture, bringing over two decades of experience in academia, innovative educational programs, and industry partnerships to advance design education.
Part of San Francisco Waterfront Highway to Become Pedestrian-Only in April
Two miles of the ‘Great Highway’ will be permanently closed to cars, in part due to erosion that makes the road unsafe for vehicles.
El Paso Wastewater Purification Facility Breaks Ground
As water supplies become strained and technology advances, cities look to wastewater as a viable source of drinking water.
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.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA)
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research