Recent Streetsblog USA posts about Development

Menendez Proposes Tax Credit for Transit-Oriented Development

By Elana Schor | Apr 15, 2010 | 9 Comments

New construction projects that are within a half-mile of transit stations and exceeding national energy-efficiency standards would be eligible for a tax credit under legislation introduced today by Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ), the senior member of the Banking Committee’s transit panel. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) (Photo: Paterson Online) Menendez’s "green buildings" tax credit is aimed […]

New Report Puts a Price on Suburbia and Rental Housing in One U.S. City

By Elana Schor | Apr 12, 2010 | 5 Comments

How much various Boston area neighborhoods are spending on total household transport and housing bills. (Graphic: Center for Neighborhood Technology) Boston mayor Thomas Menino joined Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA) today for the release of a new Urban Land Institute (ULI) report that maps the combined housing and transportation burden of living in the metro area’s […]

Home Builders Net More Than $2.6B From Tax Break in Stimulus Law

By Elana Schor | Mar 24, 2010 | 3 Comments

The home-building industry scored a big win last year when Congress voted to double the tax credit for new home buyers and extend the break until next month. But that’s not the only legislative move that’s leaving smiles on home builders’ faces. (Photo: USDA) A tax break included in the Obama administration’s stimulus law is […]

Report: Real Estate Interests Spent $5.5M on Transport Lobbying in 2009

By Elana Schor | Mar 11, 2010 | No Comments

In the debate over how — and whether — to set measurable performance standards for determining where federal transportation money gets spent, real estate developers are a quiet but powerful player. In a report released today, the Center for Public Integrity (CPI) tracked the broad reach of land-use interests and found more than 100 groups […]

Dodd Vows to Pass Livability Bill Amid Skepticism From Rural Senators

By Elana Schor | Mar 9, 2010 | 6 Comments

Even as the Obama administration ramps up its work on a sustainability initiative that treats transportation, housing, and energy efficiency as interconnected aspects of development policy, the effort remains without an official congressional authorization — a situation that Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd (D-CT) vowed to fix yesterday. Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd […]

A Modest Proposal: Ask Developers to Help Pay For Better Transport

By Elana Schor | Feb 2, 2010 | No Comments

At today’s debate on conservative support for transit, developer Chris Leinberger had a modest proposal for lawmakers who are desperately seeking new transportation financing strategies in an era of diminishing gas tax returns: Ask real-estate developers to pay for projects that will increase their profits. Chris Leinberger at last year’s Walk21 conference. (Photo: M. Katz) […]

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