Housing

Park Slope, Brooklyn

As Vacancy Rates Climb in New York's Rental Market, Landlords Blame New Rent Control Law

Vacancy rates in New York City have climbed to unexpected heights in 2020, and landlords aren't pinning all the blame on a pandemic-induced urban exodus.

September 29, 2020 - The Real Deal

Bank Owned

Wall Street Wagering on a Permanent Suburban Renter Class

Expectations that the economic downturn of the COVID-19 pandemic will create a wave of homeowners leaving the market, whether by choice or necessity, are driving big acquisitions by private equity firms and Wall Street investors.

September 28, 2020 - The Wall Street Journal

Oahu

Affordable Housing Project Fails From Community Opposition in Honolulu

The final demise of a closely watched, controversial affordable housing project was reported this week in Honolulu.

September 25, 2020 - KITV4

Brooklyn, New York City

Rezoning a Wealthy Neighborhood in the Name of Equity

An opinion piece makes the case that a rezoning proposal for the Brooklyn neighborhood of Gowanus has a higher potential for new affordable housing and lower risk of displacement compared to other rezoning plans in the city.

September 24, 2020 - City Limits

Ottawa, Canada

$1 Billion in New Affordable Housing Funding Announced for Canada

The federal government of Canada is promising to help cities pay for affordable housing.

September 23, 2020 - The Globe and Mail

Car-Centric Planning

The Causes of California's Development Malaise

A spate of recent articles has taken a critical look at the regulatory obstacles to a progrssive planning vision in the state of California.

September 22, 2020 - San Francisco Chronicle

COVID-19 Eviction Crisis

New Gig Economy Player: Eviction Crews For Hire

A new company called Civvl is hiring contract workers to help evict people during the economic struggles of the pandemic.

September 22, 2020 - Vice

Toronto Construction

Inclusionary Zoning Sought by Toronto's Chief Planner

Gregg Lintern, chief planner and executive director of the City Planning Division for Toronto, went before a city committee this week to press for a new inclusionary zoning scheme to ensure the construction of affordable housing.

September 22, 2020 - The Star

California Homeless

Permanent Supportive Housing Works for the Chronically Homeless, Study Says

A groundbreaking study provides some of the strongest evidence yet of the powerful results of permanent supportive housing for the chronically homeless.

September 21, 2020 - The Mercury News

SoHo Manhattan

NoHo and SoHo Rezoning Controversies, Amplified

One of the big questions of planning is up for debate with a proposed rezoning in the SoHo and NoHo neighborhoods of New York City: Can upzoning be an effective tool for affordability?

September 21, 2020 - CityLimits

COVID-19 Eviction Crisis

The High Cost of Rampant Evictions: $315 Million a Year in Harris County, Texas

Evictions incur immense costs for the public and nonprofit sector, according to new analysis from the Kinder Institute for Urban Research.

September 20, 2020 - Rice Kinder Institute for Urban Research: The Urban Edge

Accessory Dwelling Unit

An Online Portal for Designing Accessory Dwelling Units

The ADUniverse website offers pre-approved designs for homeowners who want to add Accessory Dwelling Units on properties in Seattle.

September 17, 2020 - The Urbanist

Ben Carson

The Hypocrisies and Troubles of Local Control

President Trump has opinions about the sanctity of local control that don't agree with his other opinions about local control. This is a cautionary tale.

September 16, 2020 - James Brasuell

Apartment renter

Landlords Facing Loss of Property and Income During Eviction Bans

Independent landlords struggle to keep up with the cost of rental units and continue to face massive income drops caused by eviction moratoriums. Some of them are pushing back.

September 16, 2020 - Politico

Moving Van

Phoenix Eviction and Foreclosure Rates Doubled the National Average—Then the Pandemic Hit

A new report looks at pre-existing foreclosure and eviction rates to predict where the worst outcomes of the pandemic's economic downturn for homeowners and renters are likely to happen.

September 15, 2020 - Arizona Republic

New York City Subway

Formerly Redlined Neighborhoods Have Higher COVID-19 Prevalence, Study Says

Add COVID-19 to the list of long-term consequences of the racist and discriminatory regulatory and lending practices of the 20th century.

September 14, 2020 - Next City

Public Meeting

It's Time to Move On From Community Consensus

Public meetings often disprove the notion that communities have a unified stance on any issue. With this in mind, we must move past trying to find consensus and focus on uplifting the most marginalized voices.

September 14, 2020 - Shelterforce Magazine

Chicago, Illinois

Obama Library Displacement Concerns: City Council Falls Short of Local Demands

The Chicago City Council has approved an ordinance intended to protect residents of the neighborhoods surrounding the planned Barack Obama Presidential Center.

September 13, 2020 - Chicago Sun-Times

Biking in Denver

Opinion: Denver Needs New Direction on Housing

A Denver writer calls attention to the city's worsening housing affordability, gentrification, and displacement challenges, and prescribes a YIMBY response.

September 11, 2020 - The Denver Post

Coronavirus

States Use CARES Act Funds to Keep Renters Afloat

More than a dozen states are using Community Development Block Grant funding from the CARES Act to fund emergency rental and mortgage assistance programs.

September 11, 2020 - Shelterforce Magazine

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.