An Australian columnist discusses the unfair disparities in home values Down Under.
"Our house has at least doubled in value since we bought it 10 years ago, or so I'm told. It's a typical Sydney story...we've done absolutely nothing to deserve this windfall...Too many people in Sydney, and too little land, did the work for us, driving up the prices...This ludicrous house-price inflation, if it continues, will eventually force my children, along with other first-time home-buyers, into outer Mongolia...House price inflation is crazy, it's destructive, it helps no one except speculators and real estate agents...[certain government interventions] could help modify the crazy house-price inflation. Instead we pay millions of dollars in first-homeowner grants to people who don't really need the money. Most recipients would buy a house without the grant, just not quite so soon...Millions of Australians need secure, stable, decent housing and can't afford it...We need some government intervention to make the housing market sensible and fair."
Thanks to David Gest
FULL STORY: Caught in the poverty of wealth
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.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
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.
City of Albany
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