Having promised a new and progressive direction in urban policy, President Obama has instead been "destructive" for America's cities, argues Yana Kunichoff.
In an interesting retort to an article we featured a couple of weeks ago, Kunichoff, writing for Truthout, reviews the Obama Administration's record in terms of housing, education and immigration and finds little to celebrate.
She writes, "One of [Obama's] initial steps as president was to appoint the first White House director of urban policy...the key components of Obama's housing policy included the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP), the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) and a cut for homeowners from the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP).
[Yet critics point out that the Administration] 'consistently unveiled programs that underperformed, did little to reduce mortgage debts owed by ordinary Americans and rejected a get-tough approach with banks.'"
As well, Kunichoff points out that Obama's education policy, which boosted funding for charter schools, is being criticized for drawing money away from the public school system.
FULL STORY: Obama's Destructive Urban Policy Alienates Low-Income Communities
The Mall Is Dead — Long Live the Mall
The American shopping mall may be closer to its original vision than ever.
The Paradox of American Housing
How the tension between housing as an asset and as an essential good keeps the supply inadequate and costs high.
Report: Las Vegas, Houston Top List of Least Affordable Cities
The report assesses the availability of affordable rental units for low-income households.
Understanding Affordable Housing Lingo
20 key terms in the affordable housing discussion.
Undoing Biden's EV Rule
The partisan divide over how government should reduce greenhouse gas emissions was on full display after the Biden administration finalized its emissions standards rule for light and medium duty vehicles on March 20.
Boston Moves Zoning Reform Forward
The ‘Squares + Streets’ plan creates form-based zoning templates for neighborhoods that promote mixed use and denser housing near transit.
City of Belgrade
City of Yakima
City of Auburn
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
Town of Zionsville
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.