This paper argues that the American dream of accumulating wealth and owning a home creates demand for housing at the edge of metropolitan areas, inadvertently weakening cities and older suburbs.
This report argues that there is an important, almost inevitable, housing dynamic that shapes many major metropolitan areas, particularly those in the Midwest. As households accumulate wealth, they tend to buy bigger and more expensive homes, and these homes are often located farther out at the edges of metropolitan areas. This pull to the suburbs creates housing vacancies or less investment in homes located in central cities and older suburbs, which in turn, can further erode existing neighborhoods and push more families outward. The paper examines this homebuying and housing cycle in Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Columbus, Ohio metropolitan areas and offers a number of strategies that state and local leaders should take to help stem some of the negative effects of this pattern. [Complete 28-page report available in PDF format.]
Thanks to Kurt Sommer
FULL STORY: Moving Up, Filtering Down: Metropolitan Housing Dynamics and Public Policy
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
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Downtown Los Angeles on the Rise: A Promising 2025
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San Francisco Slow Streets Bucks Citywide Trend, Reducing Injuries by 61 Percent
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How Single-Family Conversions Benefit Both Homeowners and Cities
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Report: Transportation Equity Requires More Than Electrification
Lower-income households often lack the resources to buy electric cars, signaling a need for a more holistic approach to improving mobility and lowering transportation costs.
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.
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