This week featured good news on the economy like it was pre-2008.

The studies about the housing market and the U.S. economy were plentiful this week, and to the surprise of many of us who have been watching for awhile, there was plenty of good news to go around.
Headlining the week's data dump was new income and poverty data from the Current Population Survey report by the U.S. Census. Speaking of good news, that data reveled that between 2014 and 2015, 3.5 million Americans were lifted out of poverty. Other studies included a new way of analyzing sprawl, accounting for the low-density development that happens in existing urban areas. That new study raises tough questions about how the country builds housing that's affordable for more of the population. And because all good news is worthy of some skepticism, there is also new evidence of anxiety among many Americans about their housing security.
Finally, Brookings examines the use of federal subsidies for professional sports stadiums—otherwise known as how the taxpayers of Alaska helped finance the new Yankee Stadium.
For more information on the stories discussed in this video, see the articles below.
- U.S. Census Has Good News About Income and Poverty
- If Housing Affordability Is Top Concern, Let Metro Regions Sprawl
- Survey: Housing Anxiety Growing in the United States
- Federal Subsidy for Private Sports Stadiums Since 2000: $3.2 Billion
FULL STORY: Planetizen Week in Review: September 10, 2016

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.

Why Should We Subsidize Public Transportation?
Many public transit agencies face financial stress due to rising costs, declining fare revenue, and declining subsidies. Transit advocates must provide a strong business case for increasing public transit funding.

Paris Bike Boom Leads to Steep Drop in Air Pollution
The French city’s air quality has improved dramatically in the past 20 years, coinciding with a growth in cycling.

Why Housing Costs More to Build in California Than in Texas
Hard costs like labor and materials combined with ‘soft’ costs such as permitting make building in the San Francisco Bay Area almost three times as costly as in Texas cities.

San Diego County Sees a Rise in Urban Coyotes
San Diego County experiences a rise in urban coyotes, as sightings become prevalent throughout its urban neighbourhoods and surrounding areas.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
City of Santa Clarita
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