Urban Issues

Here's the Real Reason Young People Can't Afford a Home

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Like so many millennials these days, Charles Bryant has been having a rough go of things in recent years. The 39-year-old New York native had a good job as a hotel manager in Delaware, but things changed quickly when the pandemic hit.  read more »

High-Rise Datacenters: Potential to Assist Downtown Recovery

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The largest Central business districts (CBDs or downtowns) face a serious crisis as working from home has seriously reduced the demand for five-day on-site employment.  read more »

Why H.I. Should Not Be Replaced By A.I.

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I have been serving the land development industry with software technology since the late 1970’s. Back then, off-the-shelf software was rare, and every computer came with instructions on how to create programs.  read more »

HSR: An Idea Whose Time Has Gone

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The Mineta Institute — named after a San Jose congressman who was Secretary of Transportation in 2001 through 2006 — has a new report claiming that high-speed rail will produce huge economic and environmental benefits.  read more »

Top Zip Codes for New Apartments: 2018 - 2022

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Rentcafe.com has just published a list of the 51 ZIP Codes in the United States that have had the most apartment construction over the last five years (2018-2022).  read more »

A Polycentric Plan for Portland

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Portland’s TriMet transit agency is attempting to serve a 2020s urban area with a 1910 transit system, says a new report published by the Cascade Policy Institute.  read more »

"New" Cities? An Old Idea

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As a kid I used to draw imaginary cities all the time. I was inspired by a trip to Disney World when I was 11 years old and I saw the Magic Kingdom’s Main Street USA and EPCOT. Without even knowing the truth I realized they were designed environments, meant to evoke certain feelings from visitors.  read more »

A Polycentric Plan for St. Louis

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St. Louis has more miles of light rail than any other Midwestern urban area, yet fewer people rode St. Louis transit in 2019 than in 1991, before the region opened its first mile of light rail.  read more »

MAGA Attacks on Cities Are Not Working

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We’re 13 months away from the 2024 presidential election, and just 3 months away from the primaries. The dominant themes of the election are forming. The Republicans have let it be known that one theme will be the crime, drugs, homelessness, and the general lawlessness of “Democrat-run” cities is a disqualifying factor for Dems, and a point in their favor.  read more »

Preservation Deed Restrictions Can Save Homes and Bring Higher Prices for Sellers

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Many think preservation deed restrictions and easements diminish the value of a property. In many cases in Dallas neighborhoods the opposite is true.  read more »