Housing
Judge Sets Back NYC's Attempt to Grab Airbnb's Data
A 2018 law required Airbnb to share the names and addresses of hosts in the New York City. A judge ruled that the mandate violates the 4th Amendment.
Asian, Australian Property Markets Begin to Cool
Markets for residential property income of East Asia's most expensive cities are slowing down. The U.S.-China trade war is one factor, along with local controls and a mainland Chinese economy applying the brakes.
California Needs a Marshall Plan for Housing, According to New Governor
Governor Gavin Newsom talks tough on housing in California.
Affordable Housing Advocacy Efforts Taking Root in St. Paul
St. Paul, Minnesota, is working on its comprehensive plan, and advocates want to see upzoning changes similar to what happened in Minneapolis.
Infill Development Still a Tricky Proposition
Impact fess, also known as growth fees, are creating controversy in the Canadian city of Winnpeg, even as the city prepares new infill development guidelines to quell development controversies in older neighborhoods.
Denver Condo Project Aims for 'Permanent Affordability'
More often the province of rental housing, affordability policies are limited in the for-sale market. A partnership in Denver aims to change that with a mixed-use project including at least 86 condos destined to be "permanently affordable."
Sources: Trump Administration Considering an Attack on Disparate Impact
The Supreme Court upheld the disparate impact doctrine at the heart of fair housing rules, along with many other anti-discrimination policies, in 2015. Still, the Trump administration is looking for ways to undermine disparate impact.
San Francisco Home Construction Expected to Slump This Year
Due to various market and industry factors, developers are not planning to start many new construction projects in 2019.
Massachusetts Finally Enacts Tax of Short-Term Rentals
The Massachusetts Legislature approved a tax on short-term rentals in July 2018 only to have Governor Charlie Baker amend the bill. The amendments proved only a temporary setback.
Democratic Presidential Contenders May Elevate Housing Policy
Housing measures fared well in the 2018 election, and it's likely that Democratic contenders for the presidency in 2020 have taken notice and will boost those issues in their campaigns.
Assessing Feasibility Studies for Inclusionary Zoning
Cities use the studies to inform decisions about inclusionary housing programs. But a closer look shows that there is great variation in the methods and metrics, with no one correct approach for every situation.
Climate Gentrification in Miami
With the threat of sea level rise, homes on higher ground in Miami are becoming increasingly desirable. But they are located in low-income communities of color, and residents are facing rising housing costs and displacement.
Affordable Housing Cap-and-Trade Idea Resurfaces
In New Jersey, a cap-and-trade system existed for two decades and appeared to just perpetuate housing and social inequities. But now legislators and researchers are considering it again.
Legislation Would Loosen Zoning for TOD and ADUs, Require Housing Plans From Cities in Utah
State preemption, in the form major zoning reforms and mandates for local housing targets, are on the table in the Utah Legislature this year.
San Francisco-ization, a City's Biggest Nightmare
Cities spend a lot of time and energy pointing to examples of what they don’t want to become.
On Different Ways to See a Place
Looking forward to 2019, Chuck Wolfe reflects on how time living in London—and exposure to many other places during 2018— has highlighted how the physical shell of the old often frames today's sociocultural realities around the world.
California Prepares for a Prop. 13 Showdown
Expect property tax reform to be in the news in 2019.
Under Ben Carson, HUD Abdicates Fair Housing Responsibilities
Civil rights advocates are claiming that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is no longer in the business of enforcing fair housing laws.
Coach House: Legalize It?
Advocates in the city of Chicago are pushing to legalize Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), which currently can only be rented if grandfathered in.
Critiquing the Notion of Neighborhood Character
Zócalo Public Square Editor Joe Mathews takes aim at the phrase, “We want to protect the character of the community," calling it a lousy argument in normal times and verging on "treasonous" due to climate change and California's housing crisis.
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.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association
