Housing

Grant Recipients to Study Michigan's Eviction Rate

Two urban and regional planning faculty at the University of Michigan's Taubman College, Assistant Professor Robert Goodspeed and Professor Emerita Margaret Dewar, were awarded a grant to study data on evictions in Michigan.

March 1, 2019 - University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning

Hotel California

Fake Airbnb Listings, Brought to You by Artificial Intelligence

This Airbnb Does Not Exist uses real Airbnb listings to make computer generated fakes.

March 1, 2019 - Futurism

Seattle Waterfront Condos

Anti-Displacement Policies Proposed by Seattle Politicians

The mayor and a councilmember both made potentially sweeping proposals to address displacement as the city moves forward with plans to upzone neighborhoods, in keeping with the Mandatory Housing Affordability policy.

March 1, 2019 - The Urbanist

Freeways

Glendale, California Passes 'Right-to-Lease' Ordinance

To combat displacement, Glendale authorized a new ordinance requiring that landlords offer year-long leases to existing tenants and capping rent hikes.

February 28, 2019 - Next City

UC Berkeley and North Berkeley

Berkeley to Study Missing Middle Housing Options for Single-Family Residential Neighborhoods

The city of Berkeley, famed for its radical left politics in the 1960s, is now considered a bastion of anti-development obstructionism. Those politics could be changing, however.

February 28, 2019 - The Bay City Beacon

Oregon Capitol

Oregon First State to Implement Statewide Rent Control

Democratic legislators made short work of a huge shift in housing policy.

February 27, 2019 - KUOW

HUD

HUD Program to Connect Low-Income Housing Tax Credits in Opportunity Zones

A new program announced by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson is designed to encourage Opportunity Zone investments that address poverty and underinvestment.

February 27, 2019 - The Real Deal

Car-Centric Planning

Tax Breaks Offered in Exchange for Affordable Housing in Downtown Phoenix

The state of Arizona doesn't allow local jurisdictions to charge affordable housing fees for new developments, so the city of Phoenix is offering tax breaks as an incentive instead.

February 27, 2019 - Arizona Republic

Basement Apartment

ADU Results Fall Short of Intentions in D.C. Region

Accessory dwelling unit regulations vary but results are consistently underwhelming in the D.C. region.

February 26, 2019 - Greater Greater Washington

Boston Skyline with Dome

Boston Plans to Put $26 Million Toward Affordable Housing Projects

A new initiative will fund 10 new developments as the city works to increase available affordable housing.

February 26, 2019 - The Boston Globe

Timber Production

Seattle Could Be at the Forefront of the Mass Timber Industry

Cross-laminated timber offers a multitude of environmental and economic benefits. With the state’s resources and Seattle’s construction needs, the city is the ideal location for mass timber production to take off.

February 25, 2019 - The Urbanist

Transit Oriented Development

Everywhere, Signs of Demise for the Planning Status Quo

The plans, they are a-changin.

February 25, 2019 - James Brasuell

Apartment renter

With Growing Number of Affluent Renters, Denver Matches National Trend

The housing crunch and changing lifestyle choices mean more people who could be in the market to buy a home are renting instead.

February 25, 2019 - The Denver Post

Tiny Home

Size of New Homes Shrinking in the U.S.

Experts say more builders are building smaller homes to meet demand for cheaper ownership options.

February 25, 2019 - The Dallas Morning News

Los Angeles Downtown Historic Core

The 'Failure' of Gentrification?

Urban scholar Joel Kotkin says that gentrification has "failed" in Los Angeles. It's a curious notion, since gentrification is generally considered a bad thing. The reality is much more complex than Kotkin suggests.

February 24, 2019 - Josh Stephens

Ticky tacky

Report: Sprawl Affecting Farmers in Greater Washington Region

According to a recent report, the self-sufficiency of agriculture in the Washington, D.C. region is declining. Encroachment from suburban sprawl, driven by a region-wide housing crunch, is one causal factor.

February 22, 2019 - Greater Greater Washington

Washington

Seattle Sustains Record Development Boom

In the past ten years, Downtown Seattle has built more housing than all of San Francisco.

February 21, 2019 - Seattle Times

Los Angeles in 1939, as determined by the  Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC).

Housing Discrimination Still a Vast Problem, Survey Finds

In a survey conducted last October, Zillow found that 27 percent of respondents believe they've experienced housing discrimination. National Fair Housing Alliance president Lisa Rice discusses why that is.

February 21, 2019 - Zillow Research

Downtown Philadelphia

Philadelphia Sees Record Housing Production

An influx of millennials is driving population and housing growth in the Center City neighborhood.

February 21, 2019 - Philadelphia Inquirer - Philly.com

Los Angeles 110 Freeway

Momentum Builds for Public Housing in California

A "white supremacist" law that blocks public housing in the state is up for repeal—again.

February 20, 2019 - Los Angeles Times

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.