Housing
Rising Rents Burden Record Number of Americans
Rising rents, stagnant incomes and the effects of the recession have pushed a record number of Americans to take on hazardous housing cost burdens, says a new report. Low-income renters are especially vulnerable.
Miami Becomes Safe Harbor for Cash and Celebrity Architecture
Rowan Moore looks at the multiple layers that are conspiring to make a maturing Miami the "new Most Exciting City in America". Diverse cultural offerings and branded architecture are attracting international investors.
Recovering Housing Market Gets Smart
As the housing market recovers, are we back to the McMansion-binges of the 2000s? Or, are we growing just a little bit smarter?
Downtown L.A.'s Residential Revolution
A plan to build 1,500 rental apartments where six parking lots now sit is just the latest sign of the insatiable demand for housing gripping downtown Los Angeles.
Canadian Home Affordability Declines
New research by the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) indicates that the percentage of average household income required to cover home payments has increased in the last two quarters as a result of both higher prices and interest rates.
In Sign of Improving U.S. Housing Sector, Building Permits Hit 5-Year High
New data from the Commerce Department reveals that more than 1 million residential building permits were issued last month. Though construction activity has reached a 5-year high, economists caution that other data indicates rates are slowing.
30 Examples of Public Housing at its Best
At its best, public housing shouldn't just provide a roof and four walls, but utilize creative design to make low-cost buildings feel like high-quality homes. These 30 projects from across the world have found unique ways to meet that challenge.
De Blasio Tax Hike Aims to Turn Speculators into Developers
A plan to eliminate a tax loophole on more than 10,500 vacant lots across New York City could help contribute to the mayor-elect's affordable housing goals.
Blame Single-Family Neighborhoods for Gentrification
What's so special about single-family homes that we'd rather preserve them than prevent the displacement and financial distress of thousands of low- and moderate-income renters?
San Francisco's Crisis of Affluence
The booming tech industry has brought economic development to the Bay Area. But lavish lifestyles, astronomical housing prices, and rising evictions has put the industry in the crosshairs of a very public backlash. Can the city broker peace?
The Enduring Allure of the Single-Family Home
Another of those highly-cited surveys of the living preferences of Americans is out and it finds support for (somewhat contradictory) elements of both smart growth and suburban development patterns.
Bucking National Trend, Homelessness Rises in N.Y. and L.A.
Despite a "remarkable" drop in homelessness across the U.S., sobering new data from HUD reveals that New York City's struggle with record high homelessness is getting worse, not better. Homelessness is up substantially in Los Angeles as well.
Proposed Gated Community Threatens L.A. Wildlife, Scientists Claim
A proposed gated community in Los Angeles County has provoked the ire of a group of scientists concerned about its environmental impact.
12 Bold and Bizarre Visions for Cities
There's no shortage of bold and bizarre ideas for how to make our future cities more livable, sustainable, and efficient. Whether many of these ideas are feasible is another story.
Vacant Buildings: Renovate, Demolish, or Disguise?
To battle blight caused by the plague of vacant properties left by declining populations and the Great Recession, cities and property owners are resorting to some sly tactics.
Who Will Benefit from JPMorgan's Record Mortgage Penalty?
Ben Protess and Jessica Silver-Greenberg provide a breakdown of how JPMorgan's $13 billion settlement over its sale of bad mortgage investments will be distributed to various public entities. How much will trickle down to struggling homeowners?
10 Ways Cities Are Turning Back Time
It's back to the future for global cities, now that we've realized what a mess the 20th century was.
Despite Threats, Interest in Using Eminent Domain to Stop Foreclosures Grows
Since it announced a plan to combat foreclosures by using eminent domain, Richmond, CA has been beset by opposition from Wall Street and Washington. Despite the threats, other cities are exploring using the controversial tool.
Does Vancouver Ban Herald the Death of the Doorknob?
Amendments to Vancouver's building code adopted in September will require lever handles on all doors in newly built housing beginning next March. Could such code changes soon be adopted far and wide?
San Francisco Looks to Limit "No Fault" Evictions
Beset by a wave of so-called "no fault" evictions, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee and state legislators are taking aim at the Ellis Act, and the speculators who utilize the California law to force tenants out of their rent-controlled homes.
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
