Housing

Urban Observatory

New Tool Facilitates Stunning City Comparisons

The creator of the TED conference has teamed up with Esri to develop an innovative interactive exhibit and online mapping tool to compare 16 global cities along 16 data points, including: population density, open space, and traffic.

July 12, 2013 - Fast Company Co.Exist

A New Way to Diffuse NIMBYism?

A controversial affordable housing project proposed for Somerville, Mass. diffused community opposition by coordinating with the for-profit developer of an adjacent parcel. Could the partnership provide a template for moderating NIMBYism?

July 10, 2013 - Rooflines

How the Centerpiece of D.C.'s Affordable Housing Efforts Became a Catastrophe

In an in-depth article, Robert Samuels examines the "oversights, missteps and missed opportunities" that have turned the New Communities Initiative - imagined as "the centerpiece of the District’s affordable-housing efforts" - into a train wreck.

July 9, 2013 - The Washington Post

What's Being Done to Keep D.C. Affordable?

Across the D.C. metro area, the supply of market-affordable apartments has dropped dramatically over the past decade as the region's economy has boomed. Nonprofit groups and local governments are working to improve affordability.

July 8, 2013 - The Washington Post

The Side Effects of Property Taxes

American reliance on property taxes leads to NIMBYism and periodic tax revolts, thus impeding both development and basic public services.

July 4, 2013 - Michael Lewyn

Leave it to beaver house

Why 'Leave it to Beaver' Neighborhoods are Ripe for Renewal

The nation has a huge quantity of postwar housing that can be made more walkable and appealing to new generations of residents. Robert Steuteville examines what makes them good candidates and notes some examples of successful retrofits.

July 3, 2013 - Better! Cities & Towns

Chinese Cities Lead List of the World's Most Unaffordable

While it may not have the world's highest absolute property values, Beijing has the highest imbalance between housing prices and incomes. Gwynn Guilford examines why this is problematic for the country's economic and social wellbeing.

July 2, 2013 - Quartz

Healthy Homes: The Latest Luxury Extravagance

Come September, for tens of millions of dollars, you can be the owner of the latest in healthy living - a "WELL-certified condominium" - which promises to deliver improved air, water, light, sleep, energy and nutrition.

July 1, 2013 - The New York Times

America's Unequal Housing Recovery

Home prices are rising throughout the U.S., signaling a sustained recovery of the housing market. But declining homeownership rates and record levels of burdensome housing costs point to a recovery that's only benefiting some Americans.

June 27, 2013 - Housing Perspectives

Can Mobile Homes Help Solve America's Affordability Crisis?

Homeownership is slipping out of reach for many Americans, caused largely by the lack of affordable housing inventory. There is a solution to the inventory shortage that many buyers, advocates and policymakers are overlooking: Manufactured Housing.

June 27, 2013 - Rooflines

Red or Blue, States Demand Walkable Urbanism

A new study by the Sonoran Institute finds unmet demand for walkable neighborhoods in the western American states of Idaho, Montana and Colorado. In these states, houses in walkable areas sell for markedly more than in sprawling areas.

June 27, 2013 - DC.Streetsblog

Why Developer Overconfidence May be Good for D.C. Renters

After years of dramatically rising rents, relief for D.C.'s renters may have finally arrived. A weakened local economy combined with a glut of new properties on the market (and more coming) will lead to more leasing discounts for area residents.

June 26, 2013 - The Washington Post

Report Questions Value of Energy Benchmarking

The premise behind the energy benchmarking laws found in many cities is that they will induce owners to increase the efficiency of their buildings. But a new report questions whether the investment in data collection leads to changes in energy use.

June 26, 2013 - Governing

Housing Price Increases in Urban Areas Outpace Suburbs

As we've heard recently, home prices are on the rise throughout the United States. New research from Jed Kolko shows that increases are particularly acute in areas with high rises, multi-family housing, and a diversity of residents.

June 25, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

Home For Sale Signs

Don't Count on a Millennial to Buy Your Suburban Home

James Briggs speaks for his Millennial generation cohorts when he outlines the many reasons why unloading that suburban home on young buyers will be a hard sell.

June 25, 2013 - Baltimore Business Journal

Three Decades After His Death, Pioneering Architect Remains L.A.'s Hottest Designer

Lauren Beale looks at the work of pioneering architect Paul Revere Williams, the first African American fellow of the American Institute of Architects, whose luxury homes designed for some of L.A.'s most prestigious residents remain in high demand.

June 24, 2013 - Los Angeles Times

Latest Housing Trend: Luxury Yards

Apparently a pool, barbecue, and some lounge chairs is no longer enough for an elegant backyard. Full kitchens, movie theaters, bathtubs, and even air conditioning are among the items being integrated into luxury outdoor rooms.

June 24, 2013 - The Wall Street Journal

It's Time to Turn Back the Clock on Slum Upgrading

In the 1970s and 80s, bottom-up slum upgrading schemes inspired by the ideas of British-born architect James F.C. Turner benefited tens of thousands of residents of Mumbai. Current policies incentivize top-down redevelopment, harming slum dwellers.

June 21, 2013 - Next City

University Housing: Bastion of Communal Learning or Luxury Resort?

John Eligon examines the private student housing building boom, and asks whether we are spoiling college students with luxurious off-campus amenities to the detriment of academic and social environments.

June 19, 2013 - The New York Times

Has Toronto Built Too Much Too Fast?

As Toronto's condo building boom has transformed the city, it's also helped to transform Canada's housing market. There are warning signs, however, that a surplus of housing in the city threatens to destabilize Canada's entire economy.

June 17, 2013 - CBC News

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.