More disheartening news about sprawl and development that goes against Smart Growth Principles:
"Opportunity-seeking urban dwellers, get ready to start padding that commuting budget. Private sector jobs are continually moving out of city centers to further-flung suburban areas, according to a report out today from the Brookings Institution, an independent public policy institute.
All but three of the 98 major metro areas studied showed a drop in the share of jobs located within 3 miles of downtown, even though the overall number of jobs in those areas increased slightly during the 1998- to-2006 study period." Read the full article
- The Wall Street Journal In the Exurbs, the American Dream Is Up for Rent
"The Disciannos moved from Aurora, Ill., to their home here in Plano three years ago, lured to the outermost fringes of suburbs, known as the exurbs, by the promise of owning their first home. Today, their credit is shot and they no longer own, but Ms. Discianno still has a four-hour commute.
The Disciannos are among many exurban families losing their homes and their grip on the dream of home ownership. The exurbs were among the fastest growing counties during the boom -- entire civilizations built around the idea of owning real estate. With home prices falling and unemployment rising, more people are renting -- just as they had before the boom -- and turning the community into a rental economy." Read the entire article
But there is some light at the end of the tunnel:
The Columbus Dispatch A bright spot in Ohio
"The babies just keep coming in Franklin and Delaware counties, again making central Ohio the growth region in a state that's barely been avoiding a population decline.
Franklin County alone added more people than Ohio did last year. And that local growth has been driven by the "natural increase" in population -- births minus deaths." Read the full article