7.5 percent of homes in the French capital have no one living in them.
In an effort to increase its supply of affordable housing, Paris is tripling the property tax on vacant homes to 60 percent.
Cities worldwide face the obstacle of an "artificial shortage" of housing created in part by vacation homes, owned the wealthiest residents, that sit empty all year, says Better Dwelling. To be precise, Paris has 107,000 vacant homes—representing 7.5 percent of all residences in the city.
Paris first started taxing vacant property in 2015 to "discourage the use of city center homes for secondary residences." This drastic increase is controversial, reports Better Dwelling.
Local developers have argued that more new construction is the solution. However … It appears the city believes they have 107,000 reasons more construction is not the solution.
FULL STORY: Vacant Homes Are A Global Epidemic, And Paris Is Fighting It With A 60% Tax
France Tightens Restrictions on Short-Term Rentals
The vacation rental market is shouldering part of the blame for rising housing costs, particularly in popular tourist destinations.
A New Housing Affordability Hurdle: Property Taxes
Skyrocketing home values are driving up property tax bills, putting lower-income homeowners at risk of losing their homes.
Eurostar Temporarily Closing Two High-Speed Rail Routes
Eurostar is temporarily closing routes from London to Disneyland Paris and London to Amsterdam.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.
Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.
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Balancing Bombs and Butterflies: How the National Guard Protects a Rare Species
The National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap uses GIS technology and land management strategies to balance military training with conservation efforts, ensuring the survival of the rare eastern regal fritillary butterfly.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service