CityNerd | Golf Courses vs. Housing: Top 10 Urban Courses Ripe for Redevelopment @CityNerd | Uploaded July 2021 | Updated October 2024, 1 hour ago.
In this video, we express skepticism about the value of urban golf courses in light of the affordable housing issues in so many of our cities.
Most close-in golf courses were constructed long ago, and in areas that were considered suburban when they were built. Today those courses occupy extraordinarily valuable land near urban centers and transit hubs, while cities struggle to find available land for much needed housing.
We love top ten lists, so here we evaluate and rank the ten U.S. golf courses that are ripest to be converted into housing-rich urban wonderlands. Enjoy!
Notes:
- The selection of cities that include light rail but not bus rapid transit (BRT) is admittedly a bit arbitrary, but Google Maps makes it extremely straightforward to identify rail lines and stops...buses not so much.
- Actually repurposing a golf course as some other land use is almost certainly a city planner's (not to mention an elected official's) nightmare. Most of these sites are bordered by the type of tony neighborhoods that know exactly how to raise a proper fuss at planning commission and city council. I'm under no illusion of how difficult something like this would actually be, but it's fun to at least have the discussion!
- Some golf courses are where they are because they are old, and at the time they were built there was no conception that the places they were located would ever become so housing-scarce. However, some golf courses are where they are because other uses are infeasible due to flood plain issues, etc. I didn't really spend a lot of time researching FEMA maps for this, so go crazy.
- Kind of shocking that New York and Chicago don't make the list, but maybe they're just enlightened (and old) enough cities that they were able to make better land allocation decisions?
- I'm a fan of urban green space...when it's accessible to everyone, and not just people who have lots of expensive specialized equipment and can afford greens fees.
In this video, we express skepticism about the value of urban golf courses in light of the affordable housing issues in so many of our cities.
Most close-in golf courses were constructed long ago, and in areas that were considered suburban when they were built. Today those courses occupy extraordinarily valuable land near urban centers and transit hubs, while cities struggle to find available land for much needed housing.
We love top ten lists, so here we evaluate and rank the ten U.S. golf courses that are ripest to be converted into housing-rich urban wonderlands. Enjoy!
Notes:
- The selection of cities that include light rail but not bus rapid transit (BRT) is admittedly a bit arbitrary, but Google Maps makes it extremely straightforward to identify rail lines and stops...buses not so much.
- Actually repurposing a golf course as some other land use is almost certainly a city planner's (not to mention an elected official's) nightmare. Most of these sites are bordered by the type of tony neighborhoods that know exactly how to raise a proper fuss at planning commission and city council. I'm under no illusion of how difficult something like this would actually be, but it's fun to at least have the discussion!
- Some golf courses are where they are because they are old, and at the time they were built there was no conception that the places they were located would ever become so housing-scarce. However, some golf courses are where they are because other uses are infeasible due to flood plain issues, etc. I didn't really spend a lot of time researching FEMA maps for this, so go crazy.
- Kind of shocking that New York and Chicago don't make the list, but maybe they're just enlightened (and old) enough cities that they were able to make better land allocation decisions?
- I'm a fan of urban green space...when it's accessible to everyone, and not just people who have lots of expensive specialized equipment and can afford greens fees.
