Housing

Planning Commission OKs ADUs Citywide in St. Paul

The City Council will still have to approve the likely controversial idea of allowing accessory dwelling units citywide in St. Paul, Minnesota.

July 18, 2018 - Pioneer Press

Affordable Housing

The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, Explained

A new report from the Urban Institute aims to demystify the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit.

July 18, 2018 - Urban Institute

Seattle Multi-Family and Downtown

Condos on the Up and Up in Seattle

The pace of condo construction in Seattle has a long way to go to reach pre-recession levels, but it's also come a long way from 2012.

July 17, 2018 - Crosscut

Nashville

Nashville's Housing Affordability Crisis

Cities like San Francisco or New York can suck up all the oxygen for the conversation about housing affordability in the U.S. Meanwhile rapidly growing cities like Nashville, where the scope of a crisis of affordability is no less dire.

July 16, 2018 - Tennessean

Downton Abbey

Million-Dollar Home Sales Jump 25%

The luxury market has been “reignited,” according to Realtor.com.

July 16, 2018 - Dallas News

Manhattan

Billionaires Row Residents Sue to Block Homeless Shelter

The denizens of the luxury apartments near Central Park oppose the "expense" of a new homeless shelter.

July 16, 2018 - New York Daily News

Washington State Capital

Zoning Changes for the 'Missing Middle' Take a Step Forward in Olympia

Olympia, Washington joins the ranks of cities making new incentives for the creation of missing middle housing.

July 15, 2018 - The Olympian

Biomass

U.S. Households Using Less Energy

Total on-site energy use in U.S. homes declined between 2009 and 2015, thanks to new new building technology and warmer winters.

July 14, 2018 - Housing Perspectives

Home Sold Sign

Black Homeownership Still Falling

Black homeownership rates have been slow to recover from the great recession and the gap between whites and blacks in home ownership is bigger today than it was in the 1980s.

July 12, 2018 - The Washington Post

Adams Morgan District

Is Development Causing Gentrification in D.C.'s Adams Morgan Neighborhood?

The picturesque neighborhood of Adams Morgan is becoming whiter and more affluent, but it also hasn't developed much new housing.

July 12, 2018 - Greater Greater Washington

Twin Cities Assembly Plant

Controversial Green Neighborhood to Rise on Former Auto Plant Site

Plans for a sizable eco-friendly development on the site of St. Paul's Twin Cities Assembly Plant have drawn support from many, including the city's young mayor. But density opponents remain unconvinced.

July 11, 2018 - CityLab

Montreal, Quebec

A 'Rental Renaissance' in Montreal

A city known for relatively low rents is gaining an influx of market rate and luxury rental units.

July 11, 2018 - Montreal Gazette

CEQA and the California Dream: No Marriage, Except for Attorneys

A Habitat for Humanity Project in Silicon Valley is stymied by an effective, CEQA-wielding attorney who doesn't want his home office views obstructed and more traffic in his neighborhood.

July 10, 2018 - CALmatters

Philadelphia Rowhouses

Philadelphia Rowhouse Owners Embrace the 'Overbuild'

Quarters can be cramped for growing families in Philadelphia's many two-story rowhouses. Rather than decamp to the suburbs, more and more homeowners are simply adding a third story, known as an "overbuild."

July 10, 2018 - Philadelphia Inquirer - Philly.com

Jefferson park Blue Line Stop

Study: 'Aldermanic Privilege' Leads to Segregation

Chicago's own city government, in the form of aldermanic prerogatives and privileges, contributes to racial and economic segregation, according to a new study.

July 10, 2018 - Chicago Tribune

Trailer Parks

Mobile Home Parks as Gentrification Flashpoints

The Iowa State Supreme Court recently sided with a resident of a mobile home park over the city of Des Moines, which had worked to shut the entire mobile home park down.

July 9, 2018 - Thomas Reuters Foundation

Washington, D.C. Apartment

What Do Affordable Housing Developers Think of California's Potential Rent Control Initiative?

A California November 2018 ballot initiative seeking to repeal the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act could have unintended consequences, according to Related California's Bill Witte.

July 9, 2018 - The Planning Report

San Francisco Homeless

SF Chronicle Editorial Board: Build More Homes to Help the Homeless

And stop changing the subject, adds the Editorial Board of the San Francisco Chronicle.

July 8, 2018 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Community Meeting

Seattle Rolls Out New Community Engagement Framework

Under the new guidelines, developers will need to implement specific community engagement strategies, at times based on a neighborhood's demographics.

July 7, 2018 - The Urbanist

Marijuana

Los Angeles to Consider Public Bank for Housing and Cannabis

Voters will decide in November on the creation of a cannabis-friendly, publicly owned bank to invest in affordable housing.

July 7, 2018 - Los Angeles 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.