On the basis of this trend, urban libraries will certainly be tightening their belts again next year

And the situation is not likely to be much different for libraries elsewhere.

Strategic planning will increasingly focus on sustainability, re-imagining, rethinking, and other efforts to find stable sources of funding.

 

LINK

Link to December 28 San Jose Mercury News article, "Home prices falling faster in biggest U.S. cities".

Excerpt: Home prices are dropping in the nation's largest cities and are expected to fall through next year, as fewer people purchase homes and millions of foreclosures come on to the market.

The Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller 20-city home price index released Tuesday fell 1.3 percent in October from September.

All cities recorded monthly price declines. The last time that happened was in Feb. 2009.

Atlanta recorded the largest decline. Prices there fell 2.9 percent from a month earlier. Home prices in Washington dropped 0.2 percent in October, the second monthly decline after five straight increases.

Home prices in Dallas, Portland, Ore., Charlotte, N.C., Tampa, Fla. and Denver have fallen for four straight months.

The 20-city index has risen 4.4 percent from their April 2009 bottom. But it remains 29.6 percent below its July 2006 peak.

Some interesting number to "read" here.

Related articles:
The property tax domino effect (Atlanta metro area). (12/27/2010)
National League of Cities research brief on America's cities.  (10/7/2010)