Real Estate
Walking's Role in Home Buying Decisions
How walkable neighborhoods are is playing an increasingly important role in decisions about where to buy homes.
Obama Health Care Bill May Create Demand for Medical Office Space
Real estate brokers see opportunity in building office space for physicians who will serve newly-insured people under federal health-care overhaul.
Inchvesting in Detroit
$1 will buy you one square inch of a vacant lot in Detroit, and membership in Jerry Paffendorf's club of "inchvestors." It may sound like a scheme, but Paffendorf calls it a way to network, invest in Detroit, and attract entrepreneurs.
Inside Out: Mortgage Crises, Crime, and California
Writing for The New York Times, Timothy Egan takes a look at some of the empty cities that were abandoned after the housing crash, and why they will be the slums of tomorrow.
Canada Housing Prices Return to Pre-Recession Peak
What housing slump? Canada's real estate recovery has been so fast, some analysts worry it signals a return to speculation.
Moving the Tipping Point for Creative Places
Human-scaled, creative development isn't getting built because most of the money in real estate comes from institutional investors that prefer predictable, large scale projects like subdivisions and strip malls, says Neil Takemoto of CoolTown Beta Communities.
MTA Struggles to Relocate Residents
As construction on the Second Avenue subway in New York City is set to begin next year, MTA and current residents struggle to answer the question of where to relocate the people in its way.
How Much Room Do You Need?
Dan Maginn proposes some exercises for visualizing how much room you actually need to live, starting with this equation: too big = not good. Small = good. Too small = suck.
Time for Real Estate to 'Get Real'
Ventura, CA, City Manager Rick Cole Op-ed argues for a comprehensive paradigm shift in the real estate and development industries.
New York's Post-Bubble Future
The economic downturn and burst of the real estate bubble have thrown a wrench into New York City's broad plans for redevelopment and environmental redesign. This piece looks at what lies ahead for the city.
It Started, and Should End, with Real Estate
If the government bails out banks, it also better put aside money for structural reform that ensures the proper valuation of property. According to Elena Panaritis, a housing market driven by speculation catalyzed the recession in the first place.
Portrait of a Commuter Town
A NY Times profile of Suffern, NY focuses on real estate, but in the process creates a miniature of the struggles of all small towns- keeping the historic downtown vibrant, offering varied housing options, and competing with neighboring cities.
Miami's Downtown, Going Once, Twice?
Valued at more than $115 million during the boom, a prominent Hong Kong-based developer has bought the unbuilt Brickell CitiCentre development site for $41.3 million. Similar transactions are happening on other key properties in Miami's downtown.
China's Mortgage 'Bailout'
Officials in China are moving to implement a handful of strategies to combat the housing slump, including tax breaks, smaller down-payment requirements and lower loan rates for first-time buyers.
How Much Is Green Worth?
A recent conference in Austin, Texas, of real estate appraisers explored how they should incorporate green-building techniques and features into their assessment of properties.
The Incredible Shrinking Home
A new AIA report shows that new homes under construction are getting smaller in response to market forces.
Tornado Clears Way for LEED Platinum Building
The 5-4-7 Arts Center in Greensburg, Kansas gets a LEED platinum designation- evidence that the town, which was 95% destroyed by a tornado in May, 2006, is making good on its sustainable rebuilding plan.
Cash for Transit Drives Hudson Yards Plan
James S. Russell comments on the $1 billion deal to redevelop Hudson Yards, and finds the plan lacking in vision.
Housing Bubble Goes Global
Housing markets around the world are beginning to feel the effects of the American mortgage crisis.
Los Angeles' Brawl With Sprawl
Officials in Los Angeles were successful in implementing high-density growth policies to curb sprawl. However, a disconnect between culture, transportation policy, and the real estate market may have disastrous consequences.
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
