Housing

Lost Our Home

Milwaukee's Push to Move the Homeless From the Streets Into Permanent Housing

Milwaukee County, Wisconsin is following a growing trend in cities across the country of working to end chronic homelessness by providing permanent housing to the homeless.

December 14, 2015 - Fusion

Zoning Strategies for an Aging Country

Planners convene to discuss a model plan for the smart growth of an aging population.

December 12, 2015 - Urban Institute

Report: Most New Rental Units Affordable Only for the Wealthy

A new report from the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies adds to what seems, at this point, like a tsunami of bad news for rental housing affordability.

December 10, 2015 - The Washington Post

Reducing the Mortgage Interest Deduction Could Be a Bipartisan Victory

The Washington Post Editorial Board calls for reform of the mortgage interest tax deduction.

December 9, 2015 - The Washington Post

Oakland skyline and San Francisco Bay

Have We Got a Game for You: 'Bay Area Regional Planner'

Some people like to leave their work at the office. But maybe you're the kind of planner who likes to turn the largest challenges of the profession into a game to be enjoyed in your free time.

December 9, 2015 - Curbed SF

Hoboken, New Jersey

A Hoboken Resident Finds Fault in Parking Minimums

In older, denser communities like Hoboken, NJ, where almost everything is walkable and land value is sky high, why are city officials still requiring parking minimums?

December 8, 2015 - Strong Towns

Gentrification Is More Widespread Than We Think

Gentrification is happening faster than our ability to track it via census data. What is rental data telling us now?

December 8, 2015 - Shelterforce/Rooflines

Development

Does Wendell Cox Realize He Just Supported Smart Growth?

Smart Growth critic Wendell Cox recently endorsed White House Economic Advisor Jason Furman's criticisms of zoning codes that limit infill development, essentially endorsing Smart Growth policy reforms.

December 8, 2015 - Todd Litman

Grand Central

Mr. Kimmelman's Metropolis

The New York Times architecture critic is making good on his promise to focus on the social context and redemptive qualities of urban architecture and design. A recent lecture in Denver identified several imperatives for the planning profession.

December 7, 2015 - Dean Saitta

For Rent

When Discussing Median Rents, Let's Make Sure We Have All the Data

Reports about the median rents rising or falling in a community garner a lot of attention, but it's a good idea to understand where the data is coming from.

December 7, 2015 - City Commentary

walkable street

Demand for Walkable Neighborhoods Outstripping Supply

Millennials and an aging Baby Boomer population have put a premium on "the hottest trend in real estate": walkability.

December 7, 2015 - The Huffington Post

Vacant Home, Cleveland

Cleveland Counts Its Vacant Homes, Finds Hope in Shrinking Numbers

Surveyors hitting the streets in Cleveland have found that the problem of vacant homes in the city isn't as bad as first feared.

December 7, 2015 - Cleveland Plain-Dealer

Damage Control for New York's Big Zoning Proposals

One of the nation's most ambitious efforts to upzone neighborhoods in the hope of spurring more market rate and affordable housing supply is up for debate in New York City. A lot of people don't like the plan.

December 5, 2015 - Politico New York

Demolition

Seattle Is Teardown Town

Mansionization, that conspicuous manifestation of the demand for larger homes, is alive and well in Seattle.

December 3, 2015 - The Seattle Times

Community Land Trusts Laying Down Roots in Baltimore

There are 200 community land trusts in the country, so the idea clearly has traction. With three organizations pursuing new community land trusts, the model might soon have a new test bed in Baltimore as well.

December 2, 2015 - The Baltimore Sun

Planners Feeling Tension Between Disruption And Convention

Cultural changes and 'disruptions' created by the 'sharing' economy are challenging planners just as they're challenging their own competitors. Bill Fulton assesses the brave new world that might liberate planners—or befuddle them.

December 2, 2015 - California Planning & Development Report

Stahl House Los Angeles

Krugman Argues the Supply Side to Combat Urban Inequality

Paul Krugman, one of the most influential voices of liberal policy in the United States, has identified a culprit in the U.S. affordability crisis: over-regulation.

November 30, 2015 - The New York Times

Lending Inequalities Undercut Baltimore's Potential

Baltimore's housing stock is relatively accessible compared to many other cities on the East Coast, yet deeply ingrained issues of inequality still plague the potential for homeownership to assist in the city's recovery.

November 28, 2015 - The Atlantic

Toronto from the CN Tower

Costs Soar for the Suburban Lifestyle in the Toronto Area

Famous for its focus on dense, infill development and quickly ascending skyline, the Toronto housing market is still plagued by rising housing costs at the single-family detached homes end of the spectrum.

November 28, 2015 - The Toronto Star

Analyzing the Impacts of Choice Neighborhoods Grants

A new study examines the question of how to achieve neighborhood transformation through the Choice Neighborhoods federal grant program.

November 25, 2015 - Urban Institute

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.

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.