Light Rail Commuters in Downtown Baltimore. Today on NPR, Morning Edition reported that home prices are falling most in areas with the longest commute times, and that both developers and home buyers are embracing smart growth policies as a result.
National studies have shown that in-town and transit-oriented neighborhoods are maintaining or gaining in value as people tire of long commutes, calculate rising energy prices, and factor in the higher environmental costs of suburban living.
David Goldberg was interviewed for the report. He's with Smart Growth America which has documented that, over the past two years, construction in formerly undeveloped land has slowed while urban construction has held steady.
He specifically mentioned Baltimore as a place where more and more suburban residents are opting for Downtown living, and he sees the trend continuing as baby boomers downsize in retirement, and Gen Y eschews the long commutes and lawn care that come with suburban living in favor of city centers.
Here's a link to today's NPR story.
Here's a link to a separate, two-part NPR series on how suburban living takes a toll on families and the world's climate.
Here's a link to a Smart Growth America study that "found that people who live in compact urban neighborhoods drive about a third less than those living in sprawl. It also found that that shifting 60 percent of new growth to compact patterns would save 85 million metric tons of CO2 annually by 2030."
-m.e.
