Building permit data provides a barometer of the development market, which is a reflection of development processes and planning regimes. The arc of the country's housing construction trends bends toward Texas.
The U.S. Census Bureau took to Twitter yesterday to share data on residential building permits in 2016, calling attention to the state of Texas' position as the leader in private home development. Specifically, Texas permitted 165,583 residential units—106,511 of which were single units.
#Texas led the way in residential building permits in 2016 w/ 165,853 new privately owned housing units authorized: https://t.co/EaBiRiRxx3 pic.twitter.com/FJEBezUyCK
— U.S. Census Bureau (@uscensusbureau) June 6, 2017
The data released also contains a few helpful nuggets to put the construction in Texas in perspective: the entire country permitted 1,206,642 unites in 2016. Behind Texas were Florida, with 116,240 total units, and California, with 102,350 total units. New York permitted a surprisingly low figure of 33,711 total units.
The U.S. Census Bureau followed the permits data tweet with more data that offer other perspective's on the residential development market.
The seasonally adjusted annual rate of new private residential #construction for Feb 2017 was estimated to be $497b https://t.co/wvWS4lxYtm pic.twitter.com/eGZdBzvYyi
— U.S. Census Bureau (@uscensusbureau) June 6, 2017
FULL STORY: New Privately Owned Housing Units Authorized Unadjusted Units for Regions, Divisions, and States
Denver Planning Department Hiring to Keep Up With Permit Backlog
As Denver's development industry achieves post-recession levels of activity, the city's Department of Community Planning and Development needs staff for pre-recession levels of capacity.
New York City Residential Construction Sluggish in Recovery
For a city famous for high cost of living, incredible demand for housing, famous examples of gentrification, and political pressure to build, New York City is lagging behind the volumes of residential construction approved in comparable cities.
New California Law Supports Adaptive Reuse
AB 2243 paves the way for easier conversion of industrially and commercially zones properties for residential development.
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