Housing
New Study Tests Assumptions About Housing Vouchers and Crime
A new paper published in the Urban Studies journal finds a weak, negative relationship between vouchers and violent crime rates. There is no observable relationship between vouchers and violent crime rates in suburban areas.
Is this Closure? Bank of America Settles with FHFA for $9.3 Billion
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced a $9.3 billion settlement with Bank of America following a 2011 suit tied to the bank’s role in selling faulty mortgage-backed securities to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
New Garden City Won't Solve London's Affordable-Housing Problem
London’s contemporary affordable-housing crisis has revived a century-old idea: the garden city.
Which Is the Problem: Affordable Housing or Poverty?
Jonathan Geeting argues that Philadelphia’s recently proposed affordable housing program is focusing on the wrong problem—in Philadelphia, housing is quite affordable, but people are still too poor to afford it.
Bricks or Bullets? Obama Chooses Defense Over Housing
The federal government has largely abdicated its responsibility to build affordable housing. Nowhere is that more clear than in the comparison between President Obama's proposed $6 billion to HUD for housing production and $626 billion for defense.
1,500 Affordable Housing Units Proposed for Philadelphia
The “1,500 New Affordable Housing Units Initiative” would target gentrifying neighborhoods in the hopes of preserving a mix of incomes where housing costs are pricing-out long-term residents.
Massive Public Housing Project Endangered in Los Angeles
The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles had been counting on a $30 million Choice Neighborhoods federal grant to help fund a massive makeover for Jordan Downs—one of the most downtrodden sections of Watts in South Los Angeles.
Breaking Down Housing Affordability for Teachers
As coastal real estate markets—especially in California—grow more expensive, it’s harder for teachers to afford a home. A recent article breaks down the affordability of homes for teachers around the country.
What Desert Living Can Teach Designers About Building in Urban L.A.
A visit to Cal-Earth in Hesperia leads aspiring environmental designer Daniel Ebuehi to examine how some aspects of desert living could translate to an urban environment.
Rural Responsibility or Ruin?
The 2015 federal budget proposes a $50 minimum rent on subsidized rural rental housing to encourage “financial responsibility.” Will this really help the rural poor?
Minority Groups Left Out of Housing Recovery
The same minority groups hit hardest by the housing bust are benefiting least during recovery.
County Fairgrounds Provide Overnight Parking for Homeless
The city of Santa Rosa, California, has “cut against the trend” by implementing a safe parking program at the county fairgrounds lot. What has your surface parking lot done for you lately?
Cutting Planning Out of the Housing Process in London
The Greater London Authority recently published the “Further Alterations to the London Plan” report, which set aggressive targets for housing in the booming city. Now details are emerging about how Mayor Boris Johnson hopes to incentivize housing.
SPUR: The Bay Area Has A Sprawl Problem
SPUR states its case clearly by announcing, “We believe cities are the key to our future” at the opening of a new report called “SPUR’s Agenda for Change.”
Ritzy Neighborhoods Struggling Against Infill
The market forces that push developers and landowners to build “more” and “bigger” have cropped up in some of the swankiest neighborhoods in Portland. So far, neighbors who oppose the projects are finding scant legal recourse to prevent the changes.
Obama Administration Proposes $1 Billion for Affordable Housing Fund
The $1 billion proposed by the Obama Administration for affordable housing would be the first allotment to the National Housing Trust Fund, created in 2008. Is $1 billion enough?
Dallas Housing Department Scrutinized
A recent federal investigation into civil rights violations has given way to calls for a reorganization. A recent editorial examines the ways the Dallas Housing Department is failing.
Containing the Impacts of Gentrification for Long-Time Homeowners
Given the unprecedented nature of the gentrification occurring in American cities, many cities have had to respond swiftly to the pressures of changing neighborhoods. A new article surveys cities using property tax relief to support urban homeowners.
New Motto for Nonprofit Housing: The Impossible Takes a Little Longer
Nonprofit housing developers are able to succeed at what often seems impossible. Nonprofits all want the projects done faster and better, but is all the well-meaning input from the activists and intellectuals just more mud in in a dragging field?
Why Urban History Matters
Chuck Wolfe's recent reconnaissance of Edinburgh provides a foil for his rallying cry: Going forward, let’s not discount the influence of history’s recurring themes in how we redevelop the urban realm.
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.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
