SPUR didn't give a grade to the Bay Area on housing affordability in its most recent issue of The Urbanist, but it does provide a thorough overview of the current and ongoing efforts to make housing more affordable in the region.
"Housing affordability is the No. 1 problem in San Francisco and, increasingly, in the other cities of the region. It threatens everything that makes the Bay Area a great place to live — our diversity, our openness, our culture, our environment and our economic competitiveness." writes Jennifer Warburg in the most recent issues of SPUR's The Urbanist magazine."
After explaining SPUR's approach to the issue of housing affordability, the article goes on to list achievements benefitting housing affordability, including the 2012 establishment of San Francisco's Housing Trust Fund, new approaches to public housing, and legislation regulating short-term rentals through Airbnb, among other measures.
Finally, the article also details significant policy and development questions looming for 2015 that will determine the progress of the region in improving housing affordability.
FULL STORY: Housing Affordability: A Report Card
Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary
Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.
Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024
A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.
Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts
From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.
Washington Tribes Receive Resilience Funding
The 28 grants support projects including relocation efforts as coastal communities face the growing impacts of climate change.
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.
LA's Top Parks, Ranked
TimeOut just released its list of the top 26 parks in the L.A. area, which is home to some of the best green spaces around.
City of Rochester
Boston Harbor Now
City of Bellevue
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.