7.5 percent of homes in the French capital have no one living in them.
In an effort to increase its supply of affordable housing, Paris is tripling the property tax on vacant homes to 60 percent.
Cities worldwide face the obstacle of an "artificial shortage" of housing created in part by vacation homes, owned the wealthiest residents, that sit empty all year, says Better Dwelling. To be precise, Paris has 107,000 vacant homes—representing 7.5 percent of all residences in the city.
Paris first started taxing vacant property in 2015 to "discourage the use of city center homes for secondary residences." This drastic increase is controversial, reports Better Dwelling.
Local developers have argued that more new construction is the solution. However … It appears the city believes they have 107,000 reasons more construction is not the solution.
FULL STORY: Vacant Homes Are A Global Epidemic, And Paris Is Fighting It With A 60% Tax
France Tightens Restrictions on Short-Term Rentals
The vacation rental market is shouldering part of the blame for rising housing costs, particularly in popular tourist destinations.
A New Housing Affordability Hurdle: Property Taxes
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Eurostar Temporarily Closing Two High-Speed Rail Routes
Eurostar is temporarily closing routes from London to Disneyland Paris and London to Amsterdam.
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.
Downtown Los Angeles on the Rise: A Promising 2025
Fueled by new developments, cultural investments, and a growing dining scene, downtown Los Angeles is poised for significant growth in 2025, despite challenges from recent wildfires and economic uncertainties.
San Francisco Slow Streets Bucks Citywide Trend, Reducing Injuries by 61 Percent
Low-cost interventions aimed at slowing traffic are making a major impact on road safety.
How Single-Family Conversions Benefit Both Homeowners and Cities
Converting single-family homes to triplexes can ease the housing crisis and offer affordable, flexible options for more households. Why is it largely illegal?
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