Housing

Apartment renter

Innovative Project Aims for Affordable Home Ownership

The Brackett Knoll subdivision is wrapping up construction in Hartford, Connecticut, offering duplexes for sale at reduced rates with built in rental income included.

July 7, 2021 - Hartford Courant

Downtown Kansas City Missouri

The 'Zoom Boom' Can't Save the Midwest

Although remote work has opened up new housing possibilities for many Americans, data indicates that migration flows to 'heartland' cities have been relatively modest.

July 6, 2021 - Brookings Institution

San Francisco

U.S. Rents Match Pre-Pandemic Projections—Except in Big, Expensive Cities

Rents are resetting to pre-pandemic projections around the United States. Cities like San Francisco and New York are lagging behind, however.

July 5, 2021 - Bloomberg CityLab

Toronto

Vacancy Tax Considered in Toronto

Owning a home with no one living in it could soon come with a penalty in Toronto.

July 5, 2021 - The Star

Robert Weaver Building

HUD Secretary: Administration Must Restore Depleted Staff

To take on President Biden's ambitious housing goals, the agency needs to restore the staff lost during the Trump era.

July 2, 2021 - New York Times

Long Beach, California aerial shot

Long Beach Gated Community Must Provide Public Access

The development never fulfilled its mandate to build a public walkway through its property. Now, the Coastal Commission wants it to open its gates.

July 1, 2021 - Long Beach Post

Eviction Crisis

Rescue Plan has Billions Available for Housing, Advocates Urge Officials to Take It

With relatively few strings attached to the $350 billion in funds states and municipalities will receive, the door is wide open for governments to make a dent in their housing needs. But will they?

July 1, 2021 - Shelterforce Magazine

Charlottesville Downtown mall

Controversial Comprehensive Plan Update Moves Forward in Charlottesville

Residents have had a chance to oppose the new residential density proposed by the "Charlottesville Plans Together" comprehensive planning process.

July 1, 2021 - The Daily Progress

Cul de Sac

America's Residential Segregation is Getting Worse

New research shows growing segregation over the last two decades in the majority of large metropolitan areas.

June 30, 2021 - Time Magazine

Charlotte

Charlotte's New, Controversial Comprehensive Plan to End Single-Family Zoning

A tight vote after months of controversy has produced a major zoning reform effort that differs significantly from recent examples on the West Coast and in Minneapolis.

June 30, 2021 - Charlotte Observer

Richmond Bridge

Water, Affordable Housing on a Collision Course in California

Marin County, the wealthy county in the North Bay Area with a history of exclusionary land use and transportation practices, is using the shortage of water to justify blocking the development of an affordable housing project.

June 30, 2021 - Bloomberg Law

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

The Beginning of Housing Reparations

In a growing trend, both local and state governments are addressing the nation's huge racial wealth gap by working to reverse the legacy of discriminatory housing and lending policies.

June 30, 2021 - Joan Fitzgerald

COVID-19 Eviction Crisis

$425 Million in Rent Relief Never Reached Those in Need

A damning investigation reveals the immense financial resources that states could have spent on rent relief but failed to do so, whether willfully or not.

June 29, 2021 - The Center for Public Integrity

Central Los Angeles

Op-Ed: Los Angeles Needs a Countywide Affordable Housing Agency

A bill in the California state legislature would create an agency dedicated to coordinating the production and preservation of affordable housing across the county's 88 cities.

June 29, 2021 - Los Angeles Times

Seattle

Seattle Extends Eviction Moratorium, Struggles to Distribute Rental Assistance

The city's mayor announced an extension to the city's eviction moratorium as millions in emergency rental assistance remain undisbursed.

June 29, 2021 - The Seattle Times

Gold Coast and Old Town

Black Developers in Chicago Band Together to 'Buy Back the Block'

A group of developers joined efforts to purchase a dozen adjacent lots with plans to build affordable housing and create local jobs.

June 29, 2021 - Crain's Chicago Business

Highway Interchange

Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal Compromise Includes Cuts to Transit and 'Human Infrastructure'

An agreement laid out last week by the White House and Republican lawmakers makes dramatic cuts to funding for public transit, rail, and "human infrastructure" projects while leaving highway funding almost intact.

June 29, 2021 - Diana Ionescu

Boise Idaho

Boise Plans for 'Urban Renewal District'

The proposal seeks to sustainably manage development along State Street, support local businesses, and improve public transit and pedestrian infrastructure in the area.

June 28, 2021 - BoiseDev

Castro Street Pedcrossing with Rainbow Flag Colour

Historic Preservation of LGBTQ Spaces

New research seeks to provide a better understanding of the relationship between historic preservation and neighborhood change in the LGBTQ community.

June 27, 2021 - Planning Magazine

Coronavirus

Biden Administration Extends Eviction Moratorium, Implements Stronger Eviction Protections

The Biden administration is promising a "whole-of-government" approach to prevent an impending wave of displacement and effectively distribute rental assistance.

June 24, 2021 - National Low Income Housing Coalition

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.

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.