This NYC Suburb Actually Slowed Down Rent Growth

The Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk region of Connecticut implemented a coordinated anti-sprawl strategy focused on dense, mixed-use development near transit stations and downtown areas, using tactics like zoning reforms and eliminating parking minimums. The approach helped the region jump from the 7th worst for sprawl nationally to the 2nd most compact among mid-sized metros by 2020.

To address issues with the city’s old, slow subway system, Boston's MBTA implemented an aggressive repair and staffing strategy that included replacing 250,000 feet of aging track and expanding the workforce from 5,700 to 8,000 employees through increased wages and sign-on bonuses. As a result, on-time performance soared from 25% to 92%, rider satisfaction nearly doubled, and the system now runs 278 more trains daily.

The city of Chamberlain, South Dakota, purchased 60 acres of land for $900,000 and gave away buildable lots through a lottery system to anyone who promised to construct a home within 18 months. The city invested $4 million in taxpayer funds and grants to install roads, sewer, water lines, and other infrastructure, creating the Smokey Groves subdivision with 30 housing lots and 11 commercial lots. Since 2018, seven homes have been built in the subdivision. The municipal investment has strengthened the city's tax base while addressing housing shortages that prevented growth.

A pilot program tested speed cameras on one of Philadelphia’s most dangerous roads to reduce traffic injuries and fatalities and found speeding violations decreased by 90%. The program works by using the cameras to issue warnings to anyone driving 11 miles or more over the speed limit and then issuing fines after a 60-day grace period. Following the program’s success, it’s beginning to gain momentum in other cities, too.

As strip malls continue to decline, some urban planning and real estate experts are advocating to turn the spaces into mixed-use developments with both residential and commercial spaces. This redevelopment is an opportunity to revitalize and enrich a community by creating a village-like setting, like Woburn Village, with its 175,000 square-feet of commercial space and 350 housing units.

Community of Hope offers day shelter services and intensive case management for unhoused residents in the Las Cruces area. In the fiscal year 2020-2021, the program served 3,263 people, connecting them to affordable, income-based housing solutions.

Thanks to teamwork and the help of a Housing Development Fund Corporation Co-Op apartment tenants will be able to buy their apartments for $2,500 each. This practice helps to combat rent hikes and creates generational wealth for individuals owning their apartment.

The Austin Cultural Trust is helping preserve the city’s music venues and cultural arts spaces by helping them obtain long-term leases to buy their land outright. The Trust is run by Rally Austin, a local nonprofit that has since dedicated $19 million and secured 67,000 square feet of cultural space, supporting various venues throughout the city.

In 2014, Dunkirk, France, launched a four-year initiative to become the country's largest city with fare-free public transit. The city rebuilt its bus system with 150 vehicles serving 200,000 residents, redesigning routes, improving vehicle quality, repositioning stops, and implementing 10-minute service intervals. The approach included daily bus cleaning, same-day repairs, smartphone tracking apps, and a testing phase with free weekend travel before the full 2018 rollout. The initiative has increased bus ridership by 165%, with 10% of users abandoning their cars altogether.

The city of Lancaster invested nearly $12 million to create a walkable mixed-use development area along a main thoroughfare, with nine blocks of businesses and community spaces such as a library and a museum. The development has generated more than $270 million in economic output and residents say the area is now welcoming and encourages a sense of community.