Housing

A city council meeting.

Why Bother with Community Engagement?

What is the highest purpose of community engagement? Why do some planners go all out to hear from the public? This article dives into these questions based on nine interviews conducted at APA 2016.

December 4, 2016 - Dave Biggs

Construction Worker

The Top Housing Trends For 2017

An article listing the top five housing trends for 2017, as predicted by the National Association of Realtors.

December 4, 2016 - Modern Cities

East Berlin

What Happened When Berlin Tried Rent Control?

Enacted in 2015, Berlin's "Mietpreisbremse" ordinance limits rent increases on some (but not all) apartments. According to this study, results have not been ideal.

December 3, 2016 - City Observatory

Homes

Maryland Program Looks to Put Student Loan Debtors in Homes

A novel initiative called Maryland SmartBuy aims to help those with student loan debt buy homes.

December 3, 2016 - The Washington Post

Gentrification

Friday Eye Candy: Turning Gentrification Data Into Art

Herwig Scherabon is a graphic designer featured this week in The Guardian.

December 2, 2016 - The Guardian

Newport Beach High-Rise

Developers Clash Over Newport Beach High-Rise Project

Developers and concerned residents tussle in Orange County, California, as a property meant to host an art museum moves toward redevelopment as high-rise luxury condos instead.

December 1, 2016 - Newport Beach Indy

Trump Sign

Malign Neglect? Urban Policy in the Trump Era

How much do we have to fear from the president-elect's policy plans for urban America? We can hope that he will follow his party's playbook and largely ignore the cities, but potential changes to housing policy are more serious.

December 1, 2016 - Shelterforce/Rooflines

For Rent

Rising Rents, Stagnant Economy

Since the 1970s, many American cities have played host to rising rents and stagnant incomes. Richard Florida writes about how the "great rent squeeze" might be choking the country's economic prospects.

November 30, 2016 - CityLab

Potted Plants

Salida, Colorado: National Leader in the Development of Tiny Homes

Allowing the development of a planned community of 200 rental units, ranging from 200 to 800 square feet, will earn a position among the nation's most progressive land use policies.

November 30, 2016 - The Denver Post

An Argument for Pairing By-Right Zoning With Form-Based Codes

Opticos Design believes by-right zoning and form-based codes can be a win-win for communities.

November 30, 2016 - Logos Opticos: Composing Vibrant Urban Places

Los Angeles Apartments

Study: New Low-Income Housing Has No Effect for Nearby Property Values

A new study by Trulia casts doubt on the fears of neighborhood activists resistant to the idea of low-income housing.

November 29, 2016 - The New York Times

Los Angeles

Op-Ed: Build a Dense Wilshire Corridor to Ease L.A.'s Housing Woes

Thom Mayne proposes a radical solution to Los Angeles' affordability/preservation problem: build up transit-friendly areas far beyond current densities, and leave the rest unchanged.

November 29, 2016 - Los Angeles Times

Glenwood Green Acres, Philadelphia

Philly's Healthy Rowhouse Project Adds a New Low-Interest Loan Program

Philadelphia seeks $60 million bond issue to preserve existing affordable homes and improve residents' health. City seeks to offer city loan guarantee to embolden lenders to extend credit to homeowners with lower credit scores.

November 29, 2016 - The Citizen

New York

Airbnb Drops Lawsuit with the State of New York

The frontline of the ongoing battle between Airbnb and government regulators shifts from Albany to New York City.

November 26, 2016 - The Wall Street Journal

BART Train

The San Francisco Bay Area Voted for a Sustainable, Inclusive Future

We can’t simply rely on the federal government to solve the San Francisco Bay Area’s challenges. Time and time again, we have turned to local do-it-yourself solutions. This year, voters rolled up their sleeves and took matters into their own hands.

November 26, 2016 - San Francisco Chronicle

Affordable Housing Aimed at Artists Cropping Up In LA.

Los Angeles is building several affordable housing projects for artists.

November 25, 2016 - KPCC

Seattle Sailboats

Debunking Seattle's 'Housing Shortage'

A post examining common responses to the question of why the cost of housing continues to rise requires a frank discussion about the nature of Seattle's "housing shortage."

November 25, 2016 - The Urbanist

One57

Rents Falling at the Upper End of New York's Real Estate Market

The construction of thousands of rental apartments in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens are credited with driving down costs at the upper end of the New York City rental market.

November 23, 2016 - The Wall Street Journal

Tesco Supermarket, London

Tesco Plans to Sell Air Rights For Housing Development Above Its Stores

To help its bottom line, struggling UK retailer Tesco is planning to open up its parking lots and the space above its stores for new housing development.

November 23, 2016 - The Telegraph U.K.

New Ohio Law Fast Tracks Foreclosures for Vacant Properties

The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland provides an early assessment of a new foreclosure law in Ohio designed to help reduce vacant and blighted properties in the state.

November 22, 2016 - The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland

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.