Housing

Apartment Building

Minneapolis Mayor Pushing to Fund a Slew of Programs to Make Housing More Affordable

Mayor Jacob Frey wants $40 million of the city’s budget to fund programs related to housing affordability.

September 11, 2018 - MinnPost

Massachusetts

The History of the Failed 'Housing Choice' Bill in Massachusetts

The House Choice bill, supported by Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, failed to earn approval from the State Legislature this year.

September 11, 2018 - WBUR

Crowd Sourcing

Using Yelp to Predict Gentrification

New research draws on the popular review site Yelp to predict changes in housing prices and demographics.

September 10, 2018 - CityLab

Construction

Year One of L.A.'s 'Transit Oriented Communities Affordable Housing Incentives Program'

After one year in action, the Transit Oriented Communities Affordable Housing Incentives Program has enabled a rare feat in Los Angeles: new development.

September 10, 2018 - Urbanize LA

Resilient Home

Post-Hurricane Affordable Housing in the Florida Keys

A land trust is providing much-needed affordable housing relief after last year’s Hurricane Irma.

September 9, 2018 - Next City

Pearl District

Parsing a Portland Rent Check to See Where the Money Goes

A deep dive into what a Portland rent check pays for sheds light on strategies to help lower rising rents.

September 9, 2018 - Sightline Institute

Transit Oriented Development

Transit-Area Tax Increment Financing Bill on Gov. Jerry Brown's Desk

Transit, affordable housing, TODs, active transportation and local governments should all come out ahead should Brown sign SB 961. The bill follows in the path of earlier legislation that created enhanced infrastructure finance districts.

September 7, 2018 - Move LA

City Apartments

The 'Philadelphia Housing Action Plan' Targets 100,000 Units in 10 Years

Philadelphia officials are calling a new housing plan the city's first comprehensive citywide housing strategy.

September 7, 2018 - PlanPhilly

Queen-Spadina

3,000 Units Removed From Airbnb in Vancouver After New Rules Take Effect

New regulations for short-term rentals in Vancouver, British Columbia, are designed to return units to the rental market.

September 7, 2018 - The Star Vancouver

Hidden New York City

Landlords Owe NYC $1.5 Billion for Building Code Violations

Violations of the building code go unenforced in New York City.

September 7, 2018 - Crain's New York Business

Scaffolding

In the Midst of a Housing Crisis, Soaring Costs Leave San Francisco Projects at a Standstill

San Francisco desperately needs more housing, but many projects sit unfinished as developers face cost challenges.

September 6, 2018 - San Francisco Chronicle

Homeless and Police

Court: It's Cruel and Unusual Punishment to Ban Homeless From Sleeping on Streets

A 2009 law that banned sleeping in public spaces has been ruled unconstitutional by a federal appeals court.

September 6, 2018 - AP via Idaho Statesman

Oakwood Modernist House

Raleigh Could Legalize Accessory Dwelling Units—With Lots of Strings Attached

Residents in parts of Raleigh would be allowed to build accessory dwelling units (ADUs) on their property, if a majority of their neighbors approve the idea.

September 6, 2018 - The News & Observer

Downtown Phoenix

How Cities in the 'Heat Belt' Are Addressing Extreme Heat, the New Normal

As the number of excessive heat days steadily increases, cities face a range of new challenges. But they are also trying to get ahead of the problem while they still can.

September 5, 2018 - The Washington Post

Affluent neighborhood

Effects of the Foreclosure Crisis Still Felt in Parts of Cleveland

Call it a tale of two housing markets.

September 5, 2018 - The Plain Dealer

Georgia

Inclusionary Zoning Could Spread to Atlanta's Suburbs

Brookhaven, Georgia is rewriting its citywide zoning code, including density bonuses and mandatory inclusionary zoning in one of the new code's overlays.

September 5, 2018 - Reporter Newspapers

Urban Infill

Dynamic Planning for Affordability

Conventional planning is static, designed to lock in existing land use patterns. We need more dynamic planning to respond to changing household needs and community goals.

September 4, 2018 - Todd Litman

Greenwich Village

The Ambition of Trulia Neighborhoods, Served With a Side of Caution

Can Trulia succeed in making sense of neighborhoods for an online platform?

September 3, 2018 - Slate

Chicago Three-Flats

Classic Chicago Residential Architecture Disappearing Quickly

A recent report by the DePaul University Institute for Housing Studies finds the number of two-flats, three-flats, and four-flats in quick decline among the residential building stock of Chicago.

September 3, 2018 - Chicago Tribune

Homeless Encampment

How L.A. Plans to Address Intersecting Issues of Homelessness and Open Space

In California, agencies are working to redefine enforcement and safety procedures as the number of homeless individuals who seek refuge in vulnerable open or wild landscapes continue to increase.

September 1, 2018 - The Planning Report

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.