Affordability

Transportation system users rate inaffordability as a top concern, but conventional planning ignores this issue. Increasing transport affordability requires changing planning practices to favor more affordable modes and more accessible development.

February 25, 2013 - Todd Litman

Richard Blackwell examines the foundations of Canada's housing "affordability crisis," in which prices have doubled over the last decade due to low rates and easy mortgage terms.

January 2, 2013 - The Globe and Mail

As the Sandy clean-up gets underway, could this be an opportunity for the Eastern Seaboard to apply some of the rebuilding lessons learned along the Gulf Coast after Katrina? Ben Brown shares some pointers.

November 6, 2012 - PlaceShakers

Russian oligarchs and Brazilian expats may be its most prominent residents, but Miami does have a middle-class. But a new study shows they aren't exactly thriving. In fact, Miami is the toughest city in the nation to be a middle-class resident.

October 22, 2012 - New Times Miami Blog

Katie Pearce discusses the surprising findings of a new study from the Center for Housing Policy and the Center for Neighborhood Technology that evaluates why it can be more affordable to live in an “expensive” city.

October 21, 2012 - Streetsblog D.C.

A recent paper by Harvard economists Daniel Shoag and Peter Ganong titled, Why Has Regional Convergence in the U.S. Stopped? indicates that land development regulations tend to increase housing costs, which contributes to inequality by excluding lower-income households from more economically productive urban regions. Does this means that planners are guilty of increasing income inequality?

July 26, 2012 - Todd Litman

The Bay State is terrific at attracting the leading young minds from around to world to its prestigious institutions of higher education. But when those students graduate, high housing prices are forcing them out of the state, writes Edward Glaeser.

June 19, 2012 - The Boston Globe

$1,000 a month in rent in New York City is a steal - but this apartment is only 100 sq. ft. Curbed rounds up a number of unbelievably tiny rentals in hot markets from Chicago to Reading, Ohio.

November 12, 2011 - Curbed

In this post, John Keith suggests five methods to help Boston be more affordable to live in, including striking out the city's affordable housing program altogether.

November 10, 2011 - CharlestownPatch

This is the third in a series of columns that respond to recent claims by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) that smart growth policies are ineffective and harmful. The first was, An Inaccurate Attack On Smart Growth [...]

September 5, 2011 - Todd Litman

The Bronx is slowly shedding its negative image as it boasts a job growth that is outpacing the entire New York City, and the fastest wage increases than any other borough in the city, reports Daniel Massey for Crain's New York Business.

July 28, 2011 - Crain's New York Business

Housing activists in Vancouver are criticizing the city for only offering a small portion of the Olympic Village built for the 2010 Winter Olympics as affordable housing.

December 29, 2010 - Straight

Nature writer David Oates embeds himself in green, urban Portland and finds much to like about the green city movement but also much room for improvement.

June 5, 2010 - Orion

This article looks at the five metro areas with the most affordable housing options, and the five with the least affordable options.

February 24, 2010 - CNN Money

Consumer preference surveys indicate that total U.S. demand for large-lot, exurban housing will not increase, while demand for small-lot and attached housing in accessible, multi-modal locations will double during the next two decades.

September 3, 2009 - Victoria Transport Policy Institute

Location, location, location. Choosing a smart home location can help households become healthy, wealthy and wise, since it affects residents’ physical activity levels, long-term financial burdens and opportunities for education and social interaction.

September 2, 2009 - Todd Litman

I would like to expand an ongoing debate between Reason Foundation policy expert Samuel Staley and me concerning land use policy impacts on affordability and economic stability to include two additional issues: household economic resilience and wealth accumulation.  

April 4, 2009 - Todd Litman

In a recent blog I emphasized the value of using smart growth policies to increase household affordability and support regional economic development. In his blog, “Planning Foreclosures,” Samuel Staley reaches a very different conclusion.

March 23, 2009 - Todd Litman

Is a $50,000 annual income wealth or poverty in North America? By historical or international standards such an income should be considered wealthy and luxurious, but most people I know consider it poverty because of the high cost of living.

March 10, 2009 - Todd Litman

Texas cities top a ranking by Forbes of where your dollar goes the farthest. Affordable housing and promising job prospects made a big difference.

October 18, 2008 - Forbes