Economic Downturn

COVID-19 Eviction Crisis

The High Cost of Rampant Evictions: $315 Million a Year in Harris County, Texas

Evictions incur immense costs for the public and nonprofit sector, according to new analysis from the Kinder Institute for Urban Research.

September 20, 2020 - Rice Kinder Institute for Urban Research: The Urban Edge

Donald Trump and Ivanka Trump

Trump Neglects Cities to the Peril of the Economy, Experts Say

President Trump is infamous for politicizing civil unrest in cities, but his leadership's animus to urban areas is found in policy as well, despite the importance of large cities to the nation's economy.

September 16, 2020 - The Washington Post

Manhattan Skyline

Condo Sales Drop Everywhere in New York City, But Least of All Outside of Manhattan

A clearer picture of the economic downturn's effects on New York City real estate is emerging. So far, new buyers are betting on boroughs not named Manhattan.

September 16, 2020 - The New York Times

Moving Van

Phoenix Eviction and Foreclosure Rates Doubled the National Average—Then the Pandemic Hit

A new report looks at pre-existing foreclosure and eviction rates to predict where the worst outcomes of the pandemic's economic downturn for homeowners and renters are likely to happen.

September 15, 2020 - Arizona Republic

Exurban Construction

Urban For-Sale Markets Keeping Pace With the Suburbs, With Two Key Exceptions

Everywhere but San Francisco and New York City, urban housing markets are just as hot for sellers as suburban markets, according to data released recently by Zillow.

September 9, 2020 - Zillow

Car Traffic

How the Pandemic Has Magnified the Pre-Existing Housing Crisis

Declining rents won't be a silver lining in the post-pandemic housing crisis.

September 8, 2020 - Citymetric

Multi-Family Housing

Landlords Offering New Concessions to Renters

In the midst of a historic eviction crisis, renters with the privilege of affording rent suddenly have the leverage for concessions from landlords, like free parking and other perks .

September 6, 2020 - Globe St.

Brooklyn Redevelopment

Opinion: How to Protect Cities From a Private Development 'Feeding Frenzy'

A New York city councilmember, trained in urban planning, presents ideas for protecting tenants and small businesses in the ongoing economic downturn.

September 3, 2020 - The New York Times

Tax

Counties and Cities Facing Sudden Dip in Property Tax Revenue

Property taxes have traditionally been viewed as recession-proof channels for local revenue, but first the Great Recession, and now the pandemic depression, are proving to be exceptions to the rule.

August 24, 2020 - Forbes

Brutalism

Report Details Dire Fiscal Straits of Local Governments

The National League of Cities has produced a highly-anticipated report detailing the fiscal fallout of the sudden and swift economic downturn that followed the coronavirus to American shores.

August 20, 2020 - National League Of Cities

Lake Oswego Transit Center

Public Transit in Crisis: Low-Income Riders Have the Most to Lose From Service Cuts

Riders who rely most on public transit are suffering the worst consequences of the cuts to service during the fiscal belt tightening of the coronavirus pandemic.

August 19, 2020 - The New York Times

Vancouver Skyline

Big Investors Cornering the Canadian Rental Market

What's good for pension funds and real estate investment trusts is likely bad for renters.

August 18, 2020 - Vancouver Sun

South Beach Open Streets

The Cost of COVID Carbon Reduction: $3,200-$5,400 a Ton

The short-term environmental effects of the pandemic economic downturn are clear in the amount of carbon emissions that have been removed from the economy. The long-term effects, however, are subject to a number of contingencies.

August 10, 2020 - Taking Stock 2020: The COVID-19 Edition

Coronavirus

The Geographic Disparities of Pandemic Unemployment

Neighborhood level unemployment data estimates reveal the deepening social inequality of the current economic crisis.

August 6, 2020 - The New York Times

Congestion

Report: Vehicle Miles Traveled Almost Fully Returned to Pre-Pandemic Levels

Reports last week that the U.S. economy is about 30 percent smaller than before the pandemic aren't reflected in driving trends.

August 3, 2020 - Smart Cities Dive

Housing crisis

What Happens if 23 Million Renters Are Evicted?

Shelterforce spoke with researchers, advocates, lawyers, housing economists, and rental housing industry representatives to understand what that crisis would do to evicted families, public health, and the housing market.

July 30, 2020 - Shelterforce Magazine

Washington D.C. Stores

A Tale of Two Real Estate Markets

Hotels, retail, and office properties, along with renters, have been ravaged by the economic downturn of the pandemic. Meanwhile home sales are booming as people with money in the bank take advantage of low interest rates to upgrade.

July 28, 2020 - The Dallas Morning News

Stockton Foreclosure

August Expiration Date for Federal Foreclosure Moratorium Raises Concerns

The housing market has yet to devolve like in 2008, thanks to a federal safety net put in place in March, but a wave of foreclosures is still a possibility as protections begin to expire.

July 28, 2020 - Curbed

Coronavirus

Federal Eviction Moratorium Expires This Week

The day that renters relying on public support to pay the bills have been dreading since March arrives tomorrow.

July 23, 2020 - The Washington Post

Jason Kofke Mural

HUD Toolkit Supports Landlords Supporting Residents Through the Coming Economic Hardships

The eviction moratorium put into effect by the CARES Act, applying to residents in public housing authority and Housing Choice Voucher programs, is set to expire later this month.

July 16, 2020 - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

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.

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100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

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A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.