Housing
Homelessness Is Falling Despite Worsening Conditions. Why?
In 2015, compared to 2009, the nation had more people and lower incomes, but higher rents. All things being equal, the number of people who are homeless should have gone up. But it did not. It went down. What changed, and what's next?
Carless Renters Still Get Stuck With a $440 Million Bill
A new study provides evidence of how the incredibly high costs of parking get spread around—even to people who don't have cars.
As Affordability Worsens, State and Local Governments Act on their Own
New data points to the continued worsening of rental housing affordability. Due to a lack of federal response, some state and municipal governments are taking matters into their own hands in an attempt to add to their supply of affordable housing.
Planetizen Week in Review: August 20, 2016
Climate change dominated the news this week, as flooding wreaked unfathomable havoc on the state of Louisiana.
HUD Rejects San Francisco's 'Neighborhood Preference' Plan
The federal government has decided that a policy recently approved by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors would have the exact opposite effect of its intentions.
Say What? Declining Homeownership Rates Aren't a Good Thing
African-Americans and Latinos lost huge amounts of wealth in the crisis. A Washington Post editorial writer asserts that all this loss of wealth is a positive, even though it affected low- and moderate-income and new buyers disproportionately.
The Typology That Houstonians Love To Hate
Townhouses have been growing like kudzu in Houston over the past few years as the uber-sprawling city has finally started to fill in and become more dense. Locals hate them, but there's beauty to be found in efficient land use.
Gentrification Concerns Sink Inclusionary Housing Development Proposal in Manhattan
Several publications were reporting the expected defeat of a proposed development project in Manhattan this week. The 15-story project was the first private application of the city's new Mandatory Inclusionary Housing policy.
Could an Anti-Homelessness Program Stabilize Affordable Housing?
Periodically in the affordable housing world, a few of us acknowledge that the vast majority of low-income people live in unsubsidized rentals in one- to four-unit buildings, and we wonder how to preserve and improve those units. Here is a way.
How McMansions Fail Basic Architectural Concepts
A "McMansion 101" post for those who wish to arm themselves with studied arguments against this popular style of residential construction.
Former Vancouver Mayor: Development Politics Equals 'Generational Warfare'
Former Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan put out a call to action, so to speak, in the hopes of energizing younger Canadians to respond to the entrenched interests of older generations.
In 2016, Legal Battle Lines Are Drawn in the Back Yard
The legal, and social, challenges to building more second units in Los Angeles.
The Gap Between the Cost of Housing and the Wages of Workers in 8 U.S. Cities
It's not just New York and San Francisco—many professions don't offer enough wages to afford an apartment at today's prices.
Neighborhoods Push for Benefits in New York Zoning Plan
The Brooklyn neighborhood of Gowanus was recently added to Mayor de Blasio’s sweeping zoning reform plan. But Gowanus also has plans of its own.
Houston Real Estate Slumping Along with the Oil Industry
The Houston Chronicle investigates the Houston-Area real estate market, finding signs of the oil slump's effect on a formerly hot market.
Debating Seattle's Growth
There's plenty to talk about in a city where rents have increased by 51 percent since 2010.
Chinese Investment in U.S. Real Estate Slows
As more constraints are put on cash outflows by the Chinese government, Chinese investors are slowing their spending spree on U.S. real estate.
Friday Funny: Weighing the Pros and Cons of Tiny Houses
The satirical site The Onion took a break from a busy week lampooning the Olympics to sets its sights on the tiny house movement.
1 in 5 Americans Now Living in Multi-Generational Households
The number of Americans living in multi-generational households is approaching levels not seen since the 1950s.
Opposition to Bay Area Housing Exposed
A 660-acre Bay Area brownfield served by commuter and light rail is the latest battleground between suburban communities intent on preserving open space and quality of life and meeting the Bay Area's unmet housing demand.
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.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
