Housing

Infill Comes to Atlanta's Single-Family Neighborhoods

The Atlanta metropolitan area is facing an estimated 2.5 million new residents by 2040. Some current residents are surprised at some of the neighborhoods accommodating that growth.

June 2, 2017 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Gentrification

Who's To Blame For Gentrification?

Journalist Peter Markowitz has written a provocative, and profoundly disingenuous, analysis of the causes and effects of gentrification in American cities. He sows division at a time that requires collaboration, writes Josh Stephens.

May 31, 2017 - California Planning & Development Report

Leave it to beaver house

How American Homeownership Fosters Inequality

Matthew Desmond, author of "Evicted," looks at the lives of Americans across the economic spectrum to gain insight into how homeownership, mainly through the mortgage tax deduction, keeps the U.S. unequal.

May 31, 2017 - The New York Times

Brooklyn

Progressives Against Housing

In Zoned Out!, Tom Angotti, of City University New York (CUNY) tries to make the case against upzoning New York's neighborhoods (or at least its poorer ones).

May 29, 2017 - Michael Lewyn

San Francisco Construction

Taller, Denser, but More Affordable Housing Coming to San Francisco

Following a similar ordinance signed into law by Mayor Ed Lee last July that dealt with developments that are 100 percent affordable, the new housing density ordinance apples to market-rate developments that have 30 percent affordability.

May 27, 2017 - San Francisco Chronicle

Texas Townhomes

Missing Middle Housing: An Austin Case Study

The "missing middle" of housing is a concept familiar to many planners, but it's still probably unknown to most of the public. A story for Austin's NPR station could be an indication that the missing middle is entering the public consciousness.

May 26, 2017 - KUT

Sloan Lake

Conspicuous and Controversial Condo Building Breaks Ground in Denver

Sloan Lake is getting a new neighbor.

May 26, 2017 - The Denver Post

How to Improve an Accessory Dwelling Unit Ordinance

Pasadena is revising its zoning regulations to accommodate more accessory dwelling units. This open letter to the city's Planning Commission includes sound suggestions, applicable everywhere.

May 26, 2017 - UrbDeZine

The Windy City

Black Chicagoans Segregated, Regardless of Income

Latino Chicagoans are more likely to live in diverse neighborhoods than whites or blacks do.

May 24, 2017 - Crain's Chicago Business

Gentrification

Dan Savage: Doing Something Real About Gentrification and Displacement

Urbanites' complaints about gentrification have much in common with suburbanites' complaints about commutes. Scarcity due to the ridiculous amount of land zoned for single-family housing deserves as much blame for displacement as gentrification.

May 24, 2017 - The Stranger

Single Room Occupancy

NYC's Rental Market Returns to the Single Room Occupancy Model of a Century Ago

A New York Times feature details the re-emergence of the single room occupancy (SRO) unit in the New York rental market. Despite a stigma and an old-fashioned quality, the SRO is becoming a badly needed housing solution.

May 23, 2017 - The New York Times

Homeless Man

Solving Homelessness: Title V's Shortcomings and Potential Explained

The Title V program makes the hard parts of solving homelessness—finding the money and the property—a lot easier. So why hasn't it been used at a much larger scale?

May 22, 2017 - CityLab

The Mission Mural Gentrification

YIMBYs Attacked from the (Far) Left

Pro-housing activists in San Francisco are blamed for displacement of vulnerable communities because they support luxury housing developments. A report from the independent progressive website, Truthout, ties YIMBYs to the "alt-right."

May 22, 2017 - Truthout

The Tenderloin

Affordable Housing Lacking in Every State

A recent report from the Urban Institute warns of potentially expanding catastrophe for affordable housing around the country.

May 22, 2017 - Business Insider

San Francisco Mural

'Plansplaining' and its Discontents

Yes, planners have expertise to share, but according to this rather pointed critique, they also sometimes forget that other people do too.

May 22, 2017 - CityLimits.org

Tenants' Rights

Op-Ed: The Shortcomings of Matthew Desmond's 'Evicted'

Matthew Desmond's ethnographic study has received critical praise. But David Adler asks whether the book's approach tacitly lets affluent non-landlords off the hook.

May 20, 2017 - Current Affairs

Master Planned Communities

California's Inland Empire Ready to Build Again

As an article in Builder puts it: the 'Inland Empire Strike Back' with a large new masterplanned community in Riverside County. This region, hit particularly hard by the housing crash of the Great Recession looks ready pick up where it left off.

May 20, 2017 - Builder

Construction

A Call for Prevailing Wages as a Housing Solution

An op-ed written by city officials from two South Bay Area cities argues that reform of land use regulations won't be enough to solve California's housing crisis.

May 19, 2017 - The Mercury News

Kirkland, Washington

Amazon to House Homeless in Seattle Headquarters

Headquarters campus of Amazon will include housing for homeless who would have been displaced by the company’s purchase of the hotel that included their shelter.

May 17, 2017 - Next City

Presidio San Francisco

San Francisco Moving Forward on its First Teacher Housing Project

The mayor of San Francisco announced plans to convert an old administrative building, owned by the school district, into housing for teachers. It’s a long-awaited idea that has finally come to fruition.

May 15, 2017 - San Francisco Chronicle

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.