Officials in China are moving to implement a handful of strategies to combat the housing slump, including tax breaks, smaller down-payment requirements and lower loan rates for first-time buyers.
"Just a year ago, enthusiasm for housing knew few bounds, as people all around China lined up outside new housing developments for the first chance to buy. But worries grew that a bubble was developing, and the government stepped in with measures aimed at deterring speculative buyers and taking some of the froth out of housing prices. Those seemed to be working as intended -- until the global financial crisis frightened consumers and sucked away much of the optimism about China's prospects.
Housing sales, which at one point last year were rising by more than 50% from a year earlier, softened early this year, and are now plunging. Floor space sold dropped 36% in August. Average nationwide housing prices have fallen month-on-month in both August and September, and growth in new construction is slowing sharply as developers, squeezed for cash, have to cut back.
"Now everybody believes the price will go down. And the developers don't want to sell at a lower price. Nobody wants to sell, and nobody wants to buy," says William Xin, chief financial officer of China Housing & Land Development Inc., a developer in the western city of Xi'an."
FULL STORY: China Aids Home Buyers to Curb Impact of Slump
Robotaxi Charging Lots Could Complicate San Francisco Housing Development
Multiple sites slated for housing development are now being turned into charging and storage lots for autonomous vehicles, making housing an unintended victim of the robotaxi revolution.
Maui Condo Sales Drop as County Weighs Short-Term Rental Regulations
A proposed county bill would phase out some 7,000 short-term rental units.
The Challenges of Building Middle-Income Housing
An affordable housing developer explains the hurdles to building more housing for middle-income households.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Waymo Gets Permission to Map SF’s Market Street
If allowed to operate on the traffic-restricted street, Waymo’s autonomous taxis would have a leg up over ride-hailing competitors — and counter the city’s efforts to grow bike and pedestrian on the thoroughfare.
Parklet Symposium Highlights the Success of Shared Spaces
Parklets got a boost during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the concept was translated to outdoor dining programs that offered restaurants a lifeline during the shutdown.
Federal Homelessness Agency Places Entire Staff on Leave
The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness is the only federal agency dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness.
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.
Caltrans
Smith Gee Studio
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service