With cities increasingly only building luxury homes for the rich or affordable housing for the poor, a prefab housing development in East New York provides a model building middle-income homes.
"Down at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, a 300-acre industrial complex where warships were once made, a company called Capsys has been building prefab houses in a soaring skylit World War II–era foundry. House modules, modest 20-by-40-foot boxes, sit on the floor in various stages of completion, from raw steel frames with concrete floors to Tyvek-wrapped packages outfitted with kitchens, bathrooms, and heating systems. I'm wandering around with Alexander Gorlin, who's best known for his high-end work, such as the apartment tower (named, actually, the "Gorlin") at Aqua, the exclusive Miami Beach development. It's unlikely that any of these Gorlin houses will be named for the architect. They're destined for the Spring Creek development, a new community going up on the edge of East New York, a neighborhood once known for its high murder rate."
The development is targeting lower- and middle- income households seeking a chance at upward mobility -- increasingly difficult to accomplish in cities like New York. Homes in the new community will cost about $200,000, with city subsidies available for buyers who need help.
FULL STORY: The Vanishing Class
The Mall Is Dead — Long Live the Mall
The American shopping mall may be closer to its original vision than ever.
Report: Las Vegas, Houston Top List of Least Affordable Cities
The report assesses the availability of affordable rental units for low-income households.
Adaptive Reuse Bills Introduced in California Assembly
The legislation would expand eligibility for economic incentives and let cities loosen regulations to allow for more building conversions.
Video: Making Transit Better
How trackless trams and other innovations can make U.S. transit more efficient.
LA-to-San Francisco Night Train Closer to Reality
A train operator has entered into formal negotiations with Union Pacific to move the project forward with a projected launch date of 2025.
Lawsuit Aims to Stop Dodger Stadium Gondola
A proposed aerial tram project that would shuttle visitors to L.A.’s Dodger Stadium faces backlash from environmental and community groups.
City of Yakima
City of Auburn
Baylands Development Inc.
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Colorado Department of Local Affairs
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.