Housing

The Latest Trend in Redevelopment: Parking Lot to Multi-Family Residential
Real estate and investment experts see more and more urban parking lots as attractive locations for redevelopment—usually for multi-family residential buildings.

Seattle Planning Commission Calls for New Residential Density
A recently published white paper written by the Seattle Planning Commission calls on the city to follow in the footsteps of the city of Minneapolis and the state of Oregon.

Future of Massive S.F. Bay Area Housing Project Uncertain Due to Labor Dispute
The $6 billion redevelopment project at the Concord Naval Weapons Station has stalled over labor issues.

Affordable Housing Challenges in Beltway Suburbs
More people are moving to suburban counties, but a lack of affordable housing in places such as Loudon County, Virginia, means the suburbs are not an option for a growing number of people.

States Mandating Housing Deregulation
Housing deregulation for the sake of housing affordability made progress in both Democratic- and Republican-led states last year.

The Rent Gap Theory
Some urbanism commentators suggest that gentrification is the result of a "rent gap" between actual and potential rent. How should this theory affect zoning policy?

Linking Office Construction to Affordable Housing—S.F. Ballot Initiative Would Try
Proposition E, a ballot initiative up for vote in San Francisco in May, is one of the most radical planning positions in recent years, attempting to reduce housing costs by limiting housing demand.

Cities Still Sweeping Away Homeless Camps, Despite Legal Challenges
Denver and Los Angeles kicked the new year off by committing to the enforcement of a sleeping ban and sweeping away a large homeless encampment, respectively.

Tiny Houses—Not a Big Enough Solution
We shouldn’t have to scale down the idea of basic economic security to fit inside the dimensions of a tiny house. But that’s precisely what we’re doing.

The Far-Reaching Effects of the Housing Crisis
When housing costs are high, lower-income residents are not the only ones who end up struggling.

Short-Term D.C. Rentals Boosting Home Prices, Study Shows
In Washington, D.C., Airbnb has led to an increase in home prices, and the impact is more significant in neighborhoods with a higher density of short-term rental units.

In Louisville, Differing Views on Mixed-Use Development
Although a development near downtown Louisville, Kentucky, is moving forward, not everyone agrees it is the best use of the parcel and the right project for the city.

The Best-Selling Master Planned Communities of 2019
Real estate advisors RLCO released their end-of-the-year sales report for master-planned communities, completing a year of strong sales growth.

'Missing Middle Housing Act' Would Allow More Housing Options in Nebraska Residential Areas
The ranks of states considering or taking steps to override local control to allow new density in the residential neighborhoods of cities has swelled once again, this time with a state senator in Nebraska pitching statewide legislation.

Bill Would Allow Homeless Shelters to Skip Environmental Review in California
Environmental review required by the California Environmental Quality Act would no longer apply to the construction of homeless shelters under a law proposed in the California State Legislature.

Trump Administration Proposal Would Eliminate Fair Housing Protections
The Trump administration last week published its latest attempt to undermine a fair housing rule adopted during the Obama administration.

California Voters Could Repeal Amendment Long Hampering Public Housing
A state constitutional amendment from the 1950s has been used to hold back public housing, but voters could have a chance to strike it down later this year.

Urban Planning Trends to Watch in 2020
Planetizen Managing Editor James Brasuell tries to predict the big ideas and trends that will dominate the discussion about the future of land use, planning, and development in the first year of the new decade.

To Clear Obstacles to Housing Affordability, Environmental Law Reformed in Washington
State and local lawmakers hope that recent reforms to the Washington State Environmental Policy Act are only an initial step toward ending the law's use as a tool for delaying affordable housing plans.

Report: Low Housing Production Stymies Entry-Level Buyers
According to this report, the trends point to a "less diverse, older, higher-income" crop of homebuyers as low production locks out the young and many people of color.
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