Taubman College Professor of Practice in Urban and Regional Planning Chris Leinberger wrote an article for the June 2010 issue of The Atlantic titled Here Comes the Neighborhood. In it, he argues that developing walkable neighborhoods with public transportation can revitalize the housing sector.

Leinberger states that there is an increasing demand for housing in walkable neighborhoods and cites statistics to show that conventional suburbs are losing popularity and value. For example, metropolitan Washington D.C. homes in densely built cities and inner-ring suburbs have lost 20 percent of their value since the peak, while those on the suburban fringe lost approximately half their value.

Although there is a high demand for non-suburban housing due to the increasing proportion of households that are singles, childless couples, or empty-nesters, there is still a limited supply. Leinberger believes fulfilling the demand is key to restoring the economy’s health and can start by laying the groundwork through investment in rail, bike, and walking infrastructure.

To read the article, click here.