Despite the demand for walkable urban places in New York, most real estate investment has been in the region’s core rather than in creating new walkable urban places or growing the region’s rail-served town centers. This represents a lost economic opportunity, and presents a real danger of a substantial affordable housing crisis if efforts to balance the region are not taken.
New York is the densest and most walkable city in the country. But just a few, relatively small walkable urban places—or WalkUPs—are responsible for an outsize percentage of the region’s population, employment, and GDP.
How do these WalkUps compare economically and socially to the region’s drivable suburban communities? What challenges will New York’s WalkUPs likely face over the next 20 years, and what can policymakers do to address them?
On April 4, 2017, the George Washington University’s Center for Real Estate and Urban Analysis (CREUA) will answer these questions when they release The WalkUP Wake UP Call: Metro New York City. The report will include for the very first time a nearly 100 percent census of all real estate in the New York metro area as well as an analysis of growth trends in the region.
Earlier today President Trump released his budget blueprint for fiscal year 2017-2018, which outlines increased military spending and cuts for many domestic programs—including key programs that support economic growth in American communities.
Notably the blueprint eliminates funding for HUD’s Community Development Block Grants and USDOT’s TIGER Grants, and would make major cuts to the EPA and the Brownfields program; HUD’s HOME Investment Partnerships Program, Choice Neighborhoods and the Self-help Homeownership Opportunity Program; as well as development programs at USDA.
Less than two months in to the Trump administration and a new Congress, lawmakers are already talking about a $1 trillion infrastructure package, major cuts in federal spending, and tax reform—legislation that could have huge implications for community development.
What will this mean for transit-oriented development? And how might these changes impact programs that support community revitalization, housing affordability and walkable development?
LOCUS members are invited to join us for a town hall conference call on Friday, March 17, 2017 at 2:30 pm EST to hear from our policy experts with an inside track in Washington.
Today, Dr. Ben Carson was confirmed as Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, putting him at the helm of the federal agency that oversees home mortgage lending practices and other housing-related programs.
To Secretary Carson we say congratulations. America’s housing and community development policies have a huge impact on the day-to-day lives of millions of Americans, and in your new position you have a unique and valuable opportunity to improve this country.
Smart Growth America and LOCUS are looking forward to working with Secretary Carson. He is an unconventional choice for this position, but can bring fresh eyes and renewed energy to the department. Under Secretary Carson HUD has the potential to revitalize distressed neighborhoods and address America’s housing affordability crisis. We believe the private sector can and should play a significant role in that work, and welcome a chance to collaborate.
Do you know a real estate developer or investor who is creating great walkable places, and has displayed exemplary public leadership to advance smart growth development? If so, nominate them for the 2017 LOCUS Leadership Award.
The 2017 LOCUS Leadership Summit: P3 is for Partnerships, Placemaking, and Policy is taking place on April 24 and 25, 2017 at the National Press Club in Washington DC.
The land near transit stations is a valuable commodity. Hundreds or thousands of people travel to and through these places each day, and decisions about what to do with this land have implications for local economies, transit ridership, residents’ access to opportunity, and overall quality of life for everyone in a community.
Many communities choose to dedicate at least some of that land for parking. The question is, how much? Standard engineering guidelines are designed for mostly isolated suburban land uses—not walkable, urban places served by transit. But few alternative guidelines for engineers exist.
Empty Spaces: Real parking needs at five TODs, released today, set out to determine how much less parking is required at transit-oriented developments (TODs) and how many fewer vehicle trips are generated than standard industry estimates.
Are you thinking about using Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) in Michigan, and want to learn more about how to create a great application?
Join LOCUS, the Community Economic Development Association of Michigan, and the Michigan State Housing Development Authority on Thursday, February 9, 2017 for a day-long discussion about how to create a great LIHTC application under the Qualified Allocation Plan.
This was a huge year for Smart Growth America. So big, in fact, that we wanted to share with you some of our highlights.