Trump’s tariffs on steel and other building materials are driving up building costs slowing development and pushing up rents.
Developers in Boston are worried about the spate of new tariffs from the Trump administration. "Tariffs imposed recently by the Trump administration on some of the country’s biggest trading partners are driving up the prices of lumber, steel, aluminum, and other building materials," Tim Logan and Adam Vaccaro write for The Boston Globe. When developers don't build, that slows down supply of housing. "In some cases, that could mean higher rents on apartments or more tax dollars spent on a new bridge," Logan and Vaccaro report.
Because the development cycle takes place over many years, changes in the price of materials can make a huge difference. Businesses want predictability. Rising costs also affect government projects, the city of Boston anticipates the bump in material costs will add $7.5 million dollars in additional cost to the projects. The added costs will have effects that go well beyond Boston.
Some developers are avoiding high raw steel tariffs by buying prefabricated steel products, like pipes and beams, in Canada and trucking them to the United States.
FULL STORY: Tariffs are making it more expensive to build in Boston — and that could push rents even higher
Tampa Bus Project In Jeopardy, Waiting for Funds From Trump’s Federal Transit Administration
The St. Petersburg Bus Rapid Transit is waiting for funding promised by Congress but yet to be paid out by the Federal Transit Administration.
Top Housing Markets In 2017: Phoenix, Los Angeles, Boston
The National Association of Realtors weigh in on 2017 housing forecast.
New Trump Infrastructure Plan: A Trillion Dollars for New Roads Without Spending a Dime
Trump plans to authorize $137 billion in tax credits to private construction companies to build projects with tolls and other future cash streams to them to spur building and the economy.
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.
Wind Energy on the Rise Despite Federal Policy Reversal
The Trump administration is revoking federal support for renewable energy, but demand for new projects continues unabated.
Passengers Flock to Caltrain After Electrification
The new electric trains are running faster and more reliably, leading to strong ridership growth on the Bay Area rail system.
Texas Churches Rally Behind ‘Yes in God’s Back Yard’ Legislation
Religious leaders want the state to reduce zoning regulations to streamline leasing church-owned land to housing developers.
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