Urban planner and former mayor Bill Fulton says the post-pandemic shift in how Americans think about place is reshaping communities, housing markets and local governance, and many towns are not prepared for what comes next.
In a wide-ranging conversation on The Debrief: In Focus, Fulton argues that while remote work has expanded opportunity and demand for high-amenity, walkable communities, it has also intensified housing shortages in desirable regions. He contends that zoning reform alone will not solve the housing crisis, warning that regulatory changes must be paired with coordinated public-private investment to deliver meaningful supply. Fulton also addresses what Central New York communities could misunderstand about Micron-driven growth, urging local leaders to define their role in the regional economy before development pressures overtake them.
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