Housing

Clash Over Garden City Apartments in Los Angeles
The Wyvernwood Garden Apartments, a large-scale low-rise development opened in 1939, are at the center of a preservation debate. Lauren Walser gives us the case for keeping them.
More than Meets the Eye With Seattle Development Trends
Few housing markets serve as a better case study about the politics and effects of housing supply than Seattle. A local writer takes a deeper look at the city's total development over the past year and comes to some surprising conclusions.
Rowhouses Have an Ally in Philadelphia
An important source of housing affordable to wide ranges of incomes has a new, well-funded ally in Philadelphia—the Healthy Rowhouse Project is hoping to make a big impact in 2016.
Portland Renter Protection Rules Backfire in Raised Rents
Rents continue to rise in Portland, and new rules have precipitated even more raised rents for populations that can least afford the new costs.

A National Consensus on Zoning? Not So Fast
The issue of zoning might be a place for wonks of both the conservatives and the liberal variety to find middle ground, but zoning in the real world is more contentious than consensus.

St. Louis' Multi-Family Market Ready for Takeoff
Permits to rehab existing multi-family buildings have skyrocketed in St. Louis.
Anchorage Considers Densification
In a city of sprawling surface parking, increased density may help close a serious affordable housing gap as Anchorage, Alaska, seeks ways to make development more affordable.
Facebook to Offer Cash for Employees to Live Closer to Work
Here's one way to improve jobs-housing balance: employers can incentivize short commutes by helping to pay for the cost of housing.
16 Case Studies of Workforce Housing Protection
A new report from the Urban Land Institute responds to what it argues is a housing crisis among lower- and middle-income workers.
Toward a Better Understanding of Supply and Demand
A housing market analyst finds that traditional models do a poor job of measuring supply and demand, which makes it very difficult to know how much supply is needed to meet demand.

Rail Access in High Demand Among the Young, White, and Well Educated
Washington, D.C. provides a model for trends found in other cities: people living near transit are trending younger, whiter, and more educated.
The Citizens Budget Commission Reports on NYC's Housing Affordability
As Mayor de Blasio pulls out all the stops to make the case for zoning proposals critical to his affordable housing plans, the Citizens Budget Commission assessed the economics of housing construction in the city.

The Most Popular Planetizen Posts of 2015
The results of a year's worth of writing, reading, sharing, and commenting are in. These are the most popular Planetizen posts from the year 2015.
Planning Programs to Watch in the Federal Omnibus Spending Bill
Congress is on pace to wrap up a major piece of federal legislation before leaving for recess.
The 'Both/And' of the Housing Debate
Planners and community development housing activists and professionals need to start thinking about housing policy as "both...and." It is not reasonable to couch housing policy as either unfettered building or only rent.
Shell Companies Rule Los Angeles Luxury Real Estate
For all the intention New York gets for foreign investors buying up rarefied air, Los Angeles has allowed shell companies to completely control the luxury real estate market—and the neighborhoods where it locates.
Have We Been Wasting Affordable Housing Money?
It might seem like 10, or even 30, years is a long time to require affordability—until it's over and your public investment is lost.
Vancouver Hands Residents the Keys to Granny Flats
Leading other expensive cities in North America, Vancouver, British Columbia is quickly adding accessory dwelling units as a result of permissive regulations approved in 2009.

Milwaukee's Push to Move the Homeless From the Streets Into Permanent Housing
Milwaukee County, Wisconsin is following a growing trend in cities across the country of working to end chronic homelessness by providing permanent housing to the homeless.
Zoning Strategies for an Aging Country
Planners convene to discuss a model plan for the smart growth of an aging population.
Pagination
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont