Housing

New York City Greenwich

Bill to Increase Multi-Family FAR Breaks Along Surprising Political Lines in New York

A state bill would allow for higher floor area ratio in New York City, designed to alleviate housing costs in the city, has gained most support from legislators representing areas outside the city.

May 19, 2018 - Crain's New York Business

Toronto from the CN Tower

After Meteoric Rise, Toronto Housing Prices Coming Down Fast

The "typical" detached home in Toronto is worth $114,000 (Canadian Dollars) less now than at the beginning of the year.

May 18, 2018 - Better Dwelling

Seattle Homeless

The Cost of Solving Homelessness in Seattle: $400 Million

It’s "dramatically higher" than any number under discussion, and not even close to what the city will raise with its new tax on large businesses.

May 17, 2018 - Crosscut

Controversial Redevelopment Plan Pleases No One in Pittsburgh

Affordable housing advocates, developers, and planning commissioners all got a bad taste in their mouth on this one.

May 17, 2018 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Madrid Street

Madrid Seeks to Sharply Curtail Short-Term Rentals

A suite of restrictions under consideration in Madrid would eliminate short-term rentals from 95 percent of the city.

May 16, 2018 - The Local

Edina, Minnesota

Density Battles in Affluent Suburbs

The city of Edina, Minnesota, provides an example of the suburban reaction to a wave of multi-family residential construction.

May 16, 2018 - MinnPost

Iowa

The 'Missing Middle' Fills a Gap in Cedar Rapids

Developers are adding an unprecedented level of new multi-family residential construction. Most of the projects are examples of missing middle housing typologies.

May 15, 2018 - The Gazette

Seattle, Washington

Seattle Reaches Compromise on Controversial Tax for Affordable Housing

The Seattle City Council, prompted by pressure from Mayor Jenny Durkan, approved a smaller version of the "Head Tax" that provoked the ire of Amazon.

May 15, 2018 - The Urbanist

California

San Diego County Officials Ask State to Lower Housing Production Goal

The San Diego Association of Governments requested that the number of new housing units that the state housing agency assign the state's second largest county be reduced to more accurately reflect what the 18 cities and county can actually build.

May 15, 2018 - KPBS

Houston

Post-Harvey Homeowners Face an 'Army of Speculators'

In Houston, investors are snapping up damaged homes that will be dependent on flood insurance.

May 14, 2018 - Houston Chronicle

Food Trucks

Defeating SB 827 Did Not Discourage the YIMBY Movement

Though the California housing bill was a high-profile failure for pro-development activists, there are initiatives all over the country that carry its spirit.

May 14, 2018 - CityLab

New York City

Rents Falling in New York City; New Supply Gets Credit

New York City is seeing an adjustment in the rental market as landlords struggle to compete for renters in a suddenly crowded market.

May 14, 2018 - Bloomberg

Oceanside

The Conscience of a Radical

Why local governments can not always be trusted to run housing policy.

May 14, 2018 - Michael Lewyn

San Francisco

Bay Area Home Prices Rise Despite Out-Migration

Kathleen Pender, business columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, points to two reasons why home prices rise amidst a Bay Area exodus to other states. On a state level, out-migration shows California's strong but dysfunctional economy.

May 13, 2018 - San Francisco Chronicle

Golden Gate

California Population Grows to 39,810,000 in 2017

California added 309,000 residents last year, an 8 percent drop compared to annual increases since 2010. The state added a net 85,000 housing units, accounting for losses to wildfires.

May 11, 2018 - SF Gate

Community Land Trust Looking for a Foothold in Buffalo

A community land trust is making moves in the Fruit Belt neighborhood of Buffalo, New York.

May 11, 2018 - WIVB

Eastside Gold Line and Los Angeles skyline

Why Equity Groups Opposed California Legislation to Increase Housing Production

YIMBYs don't understand poverty, claimed one social justice group. Few, if any, connections with equity groups and too many with tech companies may have helped doom SB 827's chances of making it to first base in the legislature this year.

May 11, 2018 - Los Angeles Times

Denver Rowhouses

Formerly Redlined Denver Neighborhoods Are Now Gentrification Hotspots

Prices remain depressed in most formerly redlined neighborhoods, but several such areas in Denver now boast higher home values than the city as a whole.

May 11, 2018 - The Denver Post

Homes

On the Do's and Don'ts of Housing Policy

Brookings has put together nine rules for more cohesive and effective housing policy, despite federalism's tendency to create near-infinite local variety.

May 11, 2018 - Brookings

Boston

Boston Mayor Wants to Limit Short-Term Rentals

Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh thinks short-term rental companies like Airbnb are having a negative effect on the city's housing market, and he'll walk a fine line to regulate the industry.

May 11, 2018 - The Boston Globe

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.