Housing

San Jose, California

San Jose Approves Tenant Protections, Studying a Ban on Voucher Discrimination

The city of San Jose, California is crafting regulations to give renters and low-income residents more rights and access to fair housing.

May 14, 2017 - The Mercury News

Supreme Court Statue

Signs of Life from the Fair Housing Act

The Fair Housing Act, considered under threat by the Trump Administration and the Republican majority in Congress, still has power, but cities have long road ahead to prove bans liable for harms caused by predatory and discriminatory lending.

May 14, 2017 - Miami Herald

Milwaukee Looking for Ways to Finally Force Landlords to Pay Property Taxes

Landlords in Milwaukee have several methods for avoiding paying fines and property taxes—it's all a part of gaming the system. After the local paper investigated the "landlord games," the city is taking action.

May 12, 2017 - Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel

California

Op-Ed: Sacramento Drags Feet on Housing

Dan Walters has some harsh words for California state leaders. He says their approach to the housing shortage has been "tepid" and "lackadaisical."

May 10, 2017 - The Sacramento Bee

Apartment renter

Rents and Inequity Rising Together

U.S. landlords are getting a bigger share of the economic pie than they ever have before, according to new government data.

May 10, 2017 - Market Watch

California Aqueduct

What Will Los Angeles Will Do Next On Housing & Water? Look To Their Neighbors

The cities of Santa Monica, Culver CIty, West Hollywood, and Malibu are championing stormwater infrastructure, new public transit, affordable housing, and action on homelessness prevention.

May 9, 2017 - The Planning Report

Backyard Pool

U.S. Housing Prices Still Haven't Recovered from the Great Recession

While some cities become more and more expensive, most of the country's housing prices still haven't recovered from the great recession.

May 8, 2017 - Bloomberg

Los Angeles

Inclusionary Zoning Bill to Increase Affordable Rentals Passes California Assembly

Due to a 2009 court decision, cities and counties in California are prohibited from requiring that a percentage of units in rental developments be affordable. A bill by Assemblyman Richard Bloom would restore inclusionary zoning for rentals.

May 8, 2017 - Planetizen

Flodding

Middle Neighborhoods: On the Edge of Greatness or Distress

St. Louis provides the backdrop for a discussion about "middle neighborhoods"—the subject of a 2016 book by Paul C. Brophy.

May 8, 2017 - St. Louis Public Radio

Stanford

$2.5 Million is Too Much for a Teardown

Palo Alto has become so expensive, plots of land with derelict houses sell for millions of dollars. Mathew Yglesias argues allowing small municipalities to make their own zoning laws is partly to blame.

May 6, 2017 - Vox

Jane Jacobs

'Citizen Jane' Sets the Battle Lines for the Future of Cities

Coinciding with the 101st anniversary of Jane Jacobs's birth, a documentary film showing in select theaters around the country recounts the history between Jane Jacobs and Robert Moses, and the ideas that forced their struggle.

May 4, 2017 - James Brasuell

MacArthur Park

After Measure S: Los Angeles Leaders Ponder Growth and Equity

The controversy over the recent ballot initiative known as Measure S has Los Angeles thinking: How can the city accommodate new housing supply without disenfranchising communities?

May 4, 2017 - The Planning Report

Hollywood Blvd

Study: House Sizes Increase at the Expense of Tree Canopies

A research study has found that increasing house sizes in the Los Angeles area have drastically reduced the number of trees shading the region's landscapes—regardless of geographic location of socioeconomic status.

May 3, 2017 - EurekAlert

No Luxury Condos

San Francisco Preserves Affordable Housing At Risk of Gentrification

A loan program helps non-profits procure affordable apartment buildings that might otherwise be snatched up by speculative developers.

May 3, 2017 - Next City

Hotel California

California Lawmakers Continue Push For More Affordable Housing

The author of California’s successful accessory dwelling unit legislation last year discusses this session's efforts, as well as the role of the state in determining local housing supply.

May 3, 2017 - The Planning Report

Affordable housing

A Path to Looser Land Use Regulations

Harvard economics professor Edward Glaeser discusses the research on local land use controls, and why it makes sense to reevaluate them. Successful approaches may start at the state level.

May 2, 2017 - Brookings

Houston, Construction

HUD Directs Houston to Revoke Housing Vouchers

A recent letter from HUD instructs the Houston Housing Authority to take drastic measures to reduce a projected budget gap.

May 2, 2017 - Houston Chronicle

Urban Garden

An Ambitious Revitalization Partnership in Detroit

Bringing together the city, developers, and philanthropic support, Fitz Forward aims to redevelop 300 parcels. Backers hope it will serve as a model for other neighborhoods.

May 2, 2017 - Next City

Seattle Skyline from Kerry Park

Proposed Regulations to Create Affordable Housing for Seattle's Uptown

Draft ordinance regulating urban design in Seattle's Uptown would mean big changes for the neighborhood’s affordable housing requirements.

May 1, 2017 - The Urbanist

Hello Miami!

Activists Push for Affordable Housing in an Ever More Expensive Miami

Groups advocate moving mismanaged properties into the hands of community trusts, and building more affordable housing in Miami.

May 1, 2017 - The Architect's Newspaper

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.