Urbanexus Update - Issue #115
H. Pike Oliver assembles this weekly selection of real estate and community development news. Some items are behind a paywall.
The economy
Fastest recession recovery may be slowing Economists fear “stop-and-go” rebound. Some economists say the jobs picture will worsen, as companies settling in for a long recession.
How big tech generates revenue The big five tech companies generate almost $900 billion in revenues combined, more than the GDP of four of the G20 nations. Here's how they earn it all.
Office
Given the disruptive forces behind COVID-19, it seems timely for some analysis from Brad Thomas on one of the most volatile property sectors.
HVAC improvements to reduce virus transmission Potential solutions to control inter-room airflow include installing doors or air curtains, sealing gaps in ceilings, and creating overpressure above drop ceilings.
Retail
Brooks Brothers files for bankruptcy — www.cnbc.com
The 202-year-old retailer is evaluating which of its roughly 250 North American stores to close and has already decided to close about 51.
Sur La Table files for bankruptcy
Started as a single Seattle location 1972, Sur La Table went on to become one of the largest kitchenware and cooking brands in the country. The company has announced plans to close over 50 of its 121 remaining locations.
Residential
City dwellers looking to move to the suburbs Now that so many are working from home, more people are considering moving out of the city. The pandemic has sent enough New Yorkers to the exits to shake up the area's housing market.
Community planning and development
Does density aggravate COVID-19? A new study finds that county density is not significantly related to the infection rate, but higher density counties have significantly lower virus-related mortality rates than those with lower densities, possibly due to superior health care.
U. S. COVID-19 deaths and urban population density
Counties with higher urban densities have a far higher percentage of the COVID-19 deaths, as is illustrated in Figure 4. The higher urban density counties tend to have proportionally more deaths than their share of the national population (Figure 5). With just 4.3% of the nation’s population (Figure 6), counties with 7,500 per square mile urban population densities have 21.7% of the COVID-19 deaths as of July 8, 2020.
How to define American suburbs — www.bloomberg.com The U.S. hasn’t had a formal definition for what constitutes a suburb. A new data analysis comes closer to defining America’s most popular neighborhood type.
Environment and resilience
Time for action on climate change Climate change fell out of the public eye as COVID-19 took over the world. But this year is likely to be the most pivotal yet in the fight against climate change.
Real estate education and leadership
Lewis Management EVP and Principal, Randall Lewis
RCLCO’s “The Best Minds in Real Estate with Gadi Kaufmann” video interview meets up with Randall Lewis.
Real estate at the University of Washington
An interview with H. Pike Oliver about the challenges and opportunities for real estate education in the Runstad Department of Real Estate in the College of Built Environments at the University of Washington.