Housing

Real estate agent wearing jeans and sport coat planting For Sale sign on front lawn of home.

Just 15 Percent of U.S. Renters Could Afford Homeownership

In some markets, as few as 2.6 percent of renter households could afford the cost of an average home.

July 9, 2024 - Fast Company

Boston city skyline

Boston’s Fair Housing Policy Shows Promise

The city was the first to tie fair housing requirements to zoning reform.

July 9, 2024 - Smart Cities Dive

A orange-and-blue tent set up next to a tree in a paved courtyard and a cardboard box of posessions next to the tent entrance.

U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Camping Bans, but Challenges of Addressing Homelessness Remain

In Grants Pass v. Johnson, the Supreme Court upheld an Oregon city’s ban on camping in public places, paving the way for similar bans in cities across the country but doing nothing to solve the cause of homelessness.

July 8, 2024 - Brian J. Connolly

Small New York City street with brownstone homes and cars parked on one side.

NYC ‘City of Yes’ Seeks to Scale Back Parking Requirements

A rise in permit applications after recent changes to parking requirements shows how parking mandates stifle new residential development and raise the cost of housing.

July 5, 2024 - StreetsBlog NYC

View of buildings under construction and cranes in San Francisco, California.

San Francisco Must Streamline Permitting Process

After failing to meet state targets for housing production, the city must create a shorter permitting process under a 2023 state law.

July 3, 2024 - KQED

View of Austin, Texas skyline with river in foreground during morning golden hour.

Austin’s Unhoused Residents and Advocates Call for More Support

Advocacy groups want to see the city invest more in programs that prevent homelessness and provide resources to unhoused residents as a Supreme Court ruling opens the door for criminalization.

July 3, 2024 - CBS Austin

Old residential buildings along canal with ornate church in background in Girona, Catalonia, Spain.

This Part of Spain Won Rent Regulations US Tenant Activists Can Only Dream of

In Spain, a new law makes rent control possible — and one region has implemented it. In Catalunya, a rent freeze and rental price index promise to help struggling tenants.

July 3, 2024 - Shelterforce Magazine

Close-up of white sign with red FOR SALE letters and blurred brick single-family home in background.

High Housing Costs Top of Mind for Voters

More and more Americans fear they won’t be able to afford housing.

July 3, 2024 - Reuters

Tents covered with blue tarps in a homeless encampment on a lawn in Washington, D.C.

Strategies for Preventing and Ending Homelessness

A new report recommends a comprehensive, nationwide affordable housing plan as the ‘single most effective’ method of ending homelessness.

July 2, 2024 - Urban Institute

Aerial bird's eye view of unhoused encampment along roadside in Sacramento, California.

Supreme Court Upholds Unhoused Sleeping Ban

The decision sets the stage for what could be a fierce battle over homelessness policy.

June 30, 2024 - NPR

Vancouver Skyline

Vancouver City Council Eliminates Parking Mandates, Supports TOD

In a significant step for more diverse housing and transit-friendly development, the Vancouver City Council eliminated parking minimums and adopted a Transit-Oriented Areas (TOA) policy.

June 28, 2024 - City of Vancouver

Aerial view of Champs Elysees boulevard in Paris, France.

‘Grand Boulevards’ Could Ease Housing Crisis

A prominent urbanist argues that redeveloping commercial corridors with denser housing could bridge the gap between the housing supply and demand.

June 27, 2024 - Congress For New Urbanism

Tree fallen on home in Texas afetr Hurricane Harvey.

Reining in Rising Property Insurance Rates

There are many proposed ways to mitigate the property insurance cost crisis. They all require action from federal or state governments.

June 27, 2024 - Shelterforce Magazine

Panoramic view of downtown Denver, Colorado.

Colorado Renter ‘Cash Back’ Program Rewards On-Time Rent Payments

The state is exploring a program that gives people a cash incentive for paying rent to offer renters some of the financial incentives homeowners receive.

June 27, 2024 - Next City

Aerial view of San Jose, California with mountains in background.

Managing Unsheltered Homelessness in San Jose

As California and other Western states await a SCOTUS ruling that will greatly affect how cities deal with tent encampments, a new stakeholder is causing big changes in how Northern California's largest city deals with its unsheltered population.

June 26, 2024 - Irvin Dawid

Burned car sits in front of burned house in forest in Paradise, California after the Camp Fire.

Paradise Lost: Long-Time Residents Priced out of Fire-Devastated Town

The California community lost 85 lives and tens of thousands of homes. Now, high housing and rebuilding costs are forcing many former residents out.

June 26, 2024 - SF Gate

Facades of old apartment buildings in Barcelona, Spain.

Barcelona to Phase out All Short-Term Rentals

The city plans to stop issuing new or renewal licenses by 2029.

June 26, 2024 - Bloomberg CityLab

Row of colorful two-story beach homes on Gulf Coast beach in Alabama.

Alabama Funds Roof Replacements to Stave off Insurance Crisis

The Fortified roof program is helping tens of thousands of homeowners make their homes more resilient against hurricane damage.

June 26, 2024 - Stateline

Aerial view of dense single-family homes in neighborhood still under construction

A Big Picture of the US Housing Market

A new report highlights the factors driving up housing costs around the country.

June 25, 2024 - Governing

Two wood-frame houses under construction.

Commentary: When Neighborhood Change is Inevitable

Changes in the size and type of housing can accommodate different living arrangements and offer opportunities for multigenerational living and aging in place.

June 24, 2024 - Strong Towns

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.