NPR

Orange "Apartments Leasing" sandwich board sign on sidewalk with arrow pointing right.

Report: Half of U.S. Renters Are Cost-Burdened

A record number of renter households struggle to afford housing costs.

January 29, 2024 - NPR

Red, yellow, and green plastic playground equipment in small park under Claiborne Expressway overpass in New Orleans, Louisiana.

New Orleans Residents Fight Freeways With Science

A local coalition is collecting data that proves the harmful impacts of the Claiborne Expressway on the surrounding community.

December 22, 2023 - NPR

Rendering of grey convertible electric Hummer charging at a charging station against a sunset sky

Electric Car Batteries Spark Weight Concerns

A federal transportation official is warning that electric vehicle batteries, which can weigh thousands of pounds and make cars much heavier than their gas-powered counterparts.

January 16, 2023 - NPR

Father riding cargo bike with one child in cargo basket and one child riding bike alongside on sunny tree-lined path

The Multi-Faceted Benefits of E-Bikes

Advocates say incentivizing e-bikes is a quick and effective way to reduce carbon emissions and shift U.S. transportation priorities away from car-oriented planning.

January 4, 2023 - NPR

Close-up of key in door lock with house-shaped keychain hanging from it

New Federal Plan Aims To Prevent Homelessness

A new White House policy to reduce homelessness seeks to address the root issues that cause people to lose housing and stimulate housing production.

December 20, 2022 - NPR

Lake Mead 'bathtub ring'

Colorado River Water Crisis Deepens

The states that rely on the Colorado’s water must make drastic cuts in water usage to maintain use of the West’s most important—and most threatened—water source.

October 3, 2022 - NPR

Two black and blue RIDE vans

Can On-Demand Transit Replace Traditional Buses?

For small towns and hard-to-reach areas, on-demand microtransit could offer an effective alternative to fixed-route buses.

July 19, 2022 - NPR

Housing Construction

U.S. Faces Historic Housing Shortages, With Roots in the Recession and Local Zoning Restrictions

The long-term effects of the Great Recession were timed very poorly for millions of Millennials aging into homebuying years. The pandemic and the traditional zoning preferences of communities aren't doing first-time homebuyers any favors.

April 4, 2022 - NPR

Google Maps street view of intersection of Romaine and Serrano in Los Angeles, California

DIY Crosswalks Appear in Hollywood

A group claiming the city of Los Angeles fails to protect pedestrians is taking action on their own, painting a set of crosswalks at a busy residential intersection.

April 4, 2022 - NPR

Electric Vehicle Charging

Five Midwest States to Develop EV Charging Network

The governors hope the agreement will create jobs, reduce emissions, and encourage more widespread adoption of electric vehicles in their states.

October 7, 2021 - NPR

Harvey Floods Houston

NPR: HUD Sells Flood-Prone Homes Without Disclosing Risks

The troubling trend is particularly pronounced in lower-income communities, where experts worry households are being inadvertently set up for big financial losses.

September 28, 2021 - NPR

Climate Change Protest

Searching for Clearer Climate Change Messaging

Although clear climate communication is more important than ever, many people find even basic terminology about climate change confusing, research shows.

September 19, 2021 - NPR

Trailer Parks

Mobile Home Parks Becoming Unaffordable as Investors Buy Up Properties

Longtime residents of mobile home parks are seeing their land rents go up as corporate investors seek to increase profits, aided in part by federally-backed loans.

September 8, 2021 - NPR

Fuel Break Wildfire

A New Approach to Wildfire Resilience: Property Buy Backs, Fire Resistant Parks

The city of Paradise is employing a natural hazard mitigation strategy long practiced in flood zones. The idea could be expanded in other places where wildland meets human development.

August 25, 2021 - NPR

Commute

Remote Work Won't Radically Change Where We Work

As tech firms like Apple expand their satellite offices and remote work opportunities, economists and work experts debate just how much the dispersal made possible by remote work will be held in check by the forces of agglomeration.

July 21, 2021 - NPR

Coronavirus

Census: 7 Million Americans Are Behind on Rent

With the federal eviction moratorium due to expire at the end of the month and rent relief programs failing to reach those who need it most, an eviction crisis still looms.

June 13, 2021 - NPR

A Black woman stands in front of a home holding an umbrella and smiling.

The Numerous Obstacles—Past and Present—Facing Black Homeowners

Black Americans pay a higher price to be homeowners—and the number of those who can afford to pay that price is dropping quickly.

May 17, 2021 - NPR

Homeless Encampment

The Homelessness Crisis Deepened, Even Before the Pandemic

New numbers from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development show "devastating" growth in the number of unhoused people in the United States in January 2020.

March 24, 2021 - NPR

Architecture Awards

2021 Pritzker Prize Awarded for French Duo's Social Focus

The 2021 Pritzker Prize, considered the highest annual honor in architecture, has been awarded to a French couple who prioritize kindness in their designs.

March 16, 2021 - NPR

Social Distancing

Experts: Fourth Coronavirus Surge Likely More of a Ripple

The worst appears to be over, say most of the more than 20 experts who spoke with NPR's science editor, Rob Stein. If there is going to be a surge, it will be more like a ripple, he suggested. Not everyone agrees.

March 11, 2021 - NPR

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Websites

The best of the Internet—since 2002.

Top Apps

Planning apps for a brave new world.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

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.