Housing

Hong Kong Towers

Friday Eye Candy: A Photo Critique of Asia's Megacities

Michael Wolf is a 60-year-old German photojournalist living in Hong Kong. In a recent interview, he describes his various projects in capturing the lives of the millions who call Asian megacities home.

May 23, 2014 - Vice

What The NY Times Got Wrong About Inclusionary Zoning

NY Mayor Bill de Blasio released a 10-year plan to create or preserve 200,000 affordable housing units in the city. Housing activists cheer at its embrace of mandatory inclusionary zoning, but the NY Time's coverage reveals an ignorant counter view.

May 22, 2014 - Rooflines

The gentrifying street-scape of the South Park neighborhood of downtown Los Angeles, California

Multi-Family Driving Recovery in Housing Starts

New residential construction data released by the U.S. Census reveals that the construction of traditional, single-family detached housing will retain its diminished role in the American economy for the time being.

May 20, 2014 - New York Times - The Upshot

Why School Integration Requires Neighborhood Integration

Emily Badger examines the role of housing segregation in obstructing the promise of Brown v. Board of Education.

May 19, 2014 - The Washington Post - Wonkblog

A Tale of Two Markets

Re-examining recent thinking on student debt as major contributor to the lousy housing market.

May 16, 2014 - CityLab

Study Examines Middle Class Home Affordability

Jed Kolko presents the findings of a study that examines the available stock of housing available to those earning the median income around the country in different cities around the country.

May 15, 2014 - Trulia Trends Blog

Tiny Houses Shelter the Homeless in Wisconsin

Cheap construction materials, crowdfunding, and volunteer construction crews have produced villages of tiny homes as a place for the homeless to find shelter in every corner of the United States. What does it take for such homes to work?

May 13, 2014 - Reuters via Chicago Tribune

Key Questions Remain for New York City's Affordable Housing Plan

Although Mayor Bill de Blasio's recent announcements provided some important details about his administration's affordable housing agenda, there are a few questions still left to be answered that will determine the success of the plan.

May 12, 2014 - Crain's Business New York

Report: Big Increases Expected for California Property Taxes

A California state law that allowed temporary property tax reductions to homeowners during the housing crash is now swinging back the other way. Some homeowners have seen 20 percent increases in property tax bills.

May 10, 2014 - Capitol Alert (Sacramento Bee blog)

How the Gentrification Narrative Gets it Wrong

A writer points to surprising statistics about Brooklyn—mainly that much of the borough is growing poorer as real estate prices fall—to make a point about how the common gentrification narrative fails cities.

May 9, 2014 - City Notes

'Mansionization': The Sequel; Now Playing in Los Angeles

An uptick in the Los Angeles housing and lending markets has precipitated the return of mansionization. A 2008 citywide ordinance adopted to prevent outsized homes on small residential lots is proving inadequate to the task.

May 9, 2014 - Los Angeles Times

After $10.2 Billion Treasury Deposit—What Next for Fannie and Freddie?

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will deliver $10.2 billion in dividends to the U.S. Treasury next month, but Congress could soon "wind down" the companies by approving the significant Johnson-Crapo bill.

May 9, 2014 - Forbes

4 Ways The Government Can Bolster Impact Investing

Impact investing isn't just a new source of funding for nonprofits from the private sector. The government can (and should!) be a catalyst in shaping the market through policies that support investments with a greater social impact.

May 7, 2014 - Shelterforce

Coit Tower

HUD Rental Assistance on an Unsustainable Path—What Can Be Done to Save It?

A "Race to the Top" proposal for HUD to help off-set the difficulties of delivering affordable housing in high-priced, high-mobility metros.

May 7, 2014 - Shane Phillips

New York Housing

'Housing New York' Would Invest $41 Billion in Affordable Housing

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the details of the "Housing New York" plan this week. The plan will guide the de Blasio Administration toward its goal of creating 200,000 affordable housing units in the city.

May 7, 2014 - New York Times

San Francisco Homeless

Do We Need Affordable Housing or Affordable Living?

Two primary strategies will help to achieve affordable living: Reduce household transportation costs and support smaller living spaces.

May 6, 2014 - Better! Cities & Towns

House for sale

House Flipping Less Common—Is that a Good Sign?

A new report finds that "house flipping"—one of the more conspicuous signifiers of the last real estate boom—has slowed on average in recent months. Does that mean the residential market has found a sane balance?

May 3, 2014 - World Property Channel

Honda's Smart Homes Save Energy and Make Money

Electric car companies such as Honda are creating smart homes by integrating built-in energy- and money-saving features.

May 2, 2014 - FastCompany Exist

Older Residents Left Out of NYC's Housing Mix

New York City's population of older adults is growing quickly—by 2030, 300,000 more residents over the age of 65 will live in NYC than its current population of one million. But providing adequate housing for older residents is not yet a priority.

April 30, 2014 - New York Times

California Bill Would Fund Low-Income Housing by Charging for Real Estate Documents

A controversial bill working its way through the California Legislature would charge a $75 for recorded real estate documents, such as refinance, mechanic's lien, and foreclosure, to fund low- and moderate-income homes.

April 29, 2014 - Los Angeles Times

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.