Housing

Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta to Tackle Affordability by Zoning Reform

A new initiative designed to implement the goals of the One Atlanta Housing Affordability Action Plan was announced last week in Atlanta.

December 7, 2020 - The Atlanta Voice

COVID-19 Eviction Crisis

Evictions Caused 433,700 Excess Covid Infections, 10,700 Deaths, Study Says

A new study connects evictions to the spread of the coronavirus. Evictions continued in huge numbers during the pandemic despite a patchwork of eviction protections at multiple layers of government.

December 4, 2020 - Curbed

Cash Buyout

New Law Protects Homeowners From Wholesale Buyers in Philly

The new law won't stop the forces of gentrification, but it should stop one of gentrification's most pernicious symptoms.

December 3, 2020 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Washington

City Council Rejects Rezoning Approved by Planning Commission, Planning Staff

It's a tale as old as time: A plan to rezone ten acres of land in Spokane splits the public and the City Council from the opinions of the city's planning staff and Planning Commission.

December 3, 2020 - The Spokesman-Review

The Tenderloin

Lessons from 20 Years of Enabling Tenants to Buy Their Buildings

As cities around the country consider legislation that will allow tenants a chance to buy their buildings, Washington, D.C., can provide lessons on what to do—and not to do.

December 3, 2020 - Shelterforce Magazine

Coronavirus Social Distancing

Residents of Nonprofit Housing Have Lower Rates of COVID

Affordable housing providers have touted the connections between health and the places where people live for years. In a small city outside of Boston, the evidence is incontrovertible.

December 2, 2020 - Shelterforce Magazine

Seattle

Researchers Flaunt the Benefits of Reduced Minimum Parking Requirements

Seattle is one of the U.S. cities shrinking minimum parking requirements to allow for denser, more affordable development near transit.

December 2, 2020 - Transfers Magazine

Washington State

Connecting Light Rail Plans to Affordable Housing Opportunities

To keep up with affordable housing demand, Snohomish County needs to add 200,000 units by 2050. Planned light rail stations could be the ticket.

December 1, 2020 - The Urbanist

Moms 4 Housing

A Dark Night for the Right to Housing Movement

After a string of high-profile successes in places as geographically distant as Philadelphia and the East Bay Area, an ugly episode in L.A. County the day before Thanksgiving dealt a brutal setback to the burgeoning right to housing movement.

December 1, 2020 - LAist

Free Street

On Rent Control and a Green New Deal, Portland, Maine Voters Go Where Others Don't Dare

Rent control was dealt another high-profile setback in California, and the Green New Deal is a hot button issue stuck in limbo in Congress. Both efforts got the go-ahead from voters in Portland, Maine in November.

December 1, 2020 - Next City

Accessory Dwelling Unit

Accessory Dwelling Units Gain Legislative Momentum in Denver

Accessory dwelling units, also known as granny flats or mother-in-law units, gained a critical foothold in Denver earlier this month, and the Denver City Council is already maneuvering for more.

November 30, 2020 - The Denver Post

Puget Sound

Cascadia Expects Millions of New Residents. Should it Build New Cities or New Density?

A recent report calls for the region stretching from Oregon to British Columbia to think big about accommodating expected population growth. The report's recommendation to build four new, large cities isn't universally accepted, however.

November 30, 2020 - KUOW

Book in the Park

The Top Urban Planning Books of 2020

The public health crisis of the coronavirus pandemic upended all the normal day-today routines this year. At least there are plenty of great urban planning books to read.

November 30, 2020 - Josh Stephens

Vancouver Skyline Bikes

Vancouver Again Raises its Empty Homes Tax

The Vancouver Empty Homes Tax will soon be three times as high as it was when adopted in 2017.

November 29, 2020 - CTV News Vancouver

U.S.-Mexico Border

Flooded: How Natural Disasters Lead to Predatory Lending in the Rio Grande Valley

The devastation that communities in the Rio Grande Valley face is twofold: the initial destruction of the floods and the cycle of debt and poverty as a result of predatory loans.

November 27, 2020 - Shelterforce Magazine

California

Anaheim Tries a New Approach for 1,000 New Units of Workforce Housing

Many cities in California are too expensive for the firefighters, teachers, and nurses that provide essential professional services. Anaheim is hoping to leverage a new statewide program to put a significant dent in that housing challenge.

November 25, 2020 - Fox 11 Los Angeles

Coronavirus

'Seriously Delinquent' Mortgages Explode, But Don't Expect a Great Recession-Style Meltdown

More and more homeowners are falling behind on mortgage payments as the pandemic lingers, according to recent market data.

November 25, 2020 - The Orange County Register

Cleveland Aerial

Cleveland Has Yet to Recover From the Last Recession

Decades of racist policy and a lack of critical resources have left Cleveland in a perpetual state of economic fragility. The city can't afford another recession.

November 25, 2020 - City Monitor

Wisconsin

The Unfounded Fears of Affordable Housing Opposition

Neither evidence nor experience support the fearful visions expressed by opponents to affordable housing development, according to a recent feature article for the New York Times.

November 19, 2020 - The New York Times

Vacant Properties

The Legacy of Structural Poverty in Alabama

In rural Alabama, a long history of racial inequality and poverty has left people struggling to survive in uninhabitable housing.

November 18, 2020 - The New York Times

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.