Housing

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?

March 16, 2014 - Los Angeles Times

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.

March 14, 2014 - Planning Resource

San Francisco Sprawl

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.”

March 13, 2014 - Next City

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.

March 13, 2014 - The Oregonian

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?

March 10, 2014 - Reuters - U.S.

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.

March 9, 2014 - Dallas Morning News

Shaw, D.C.

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.

March 5, 2014 - New York Times

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?

March 4, 2014 - Rooflines

Edinburgh

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.

March 4, 2014 - myurbanist

Mapping the Rental Housing Crisis—County by County

A new map tool breaks down the availability of rental housing around the United States by county. While some markets are tighter than others, it’s impossible to find a place in the United States that has enough rental units per low-income households.

March 4, 2014 - Urban Institute: MetroTrends Blog

A New Coalition for Urban Place

Who benefits the most from synergistic growth, where the parts of the built environment are brought together to create a strong community and sense of place?

March 4, 2014 - Better! Cities & Towns

Canadian Housing Market on Shaky Ground

Real estate experts believe that a market correction is overdue for Canada’s inflated real estate market, however, prices are expected to continue rising in the short-and medium-term.

March 3, 2014 - The Huffington Post

A Housing-Focused Solution to Vermont’s Heroin Epidemic

Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin based his entire State of the State speech this year on the state’s “full-blown heroin crisis.” The crisis has obvious impacts on neighborhoods, but did land use policy contribute to the problem?

March 1, 2014 - The New York Times

Los Angeles Reinvests in 'Family Solution' to Homelessness

Los Angeles County has allocated an additional $10.2 million to expand the Family Solutions Centers program, which supports some of the estimated 7,391 homeless families living in the county.

February 24, 2014 - Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas

Google maps screengrab of the United States

A Map of Housing Affordability in Each State

A recent report from the National Housing Conference has moderately good news about the housing market—in many states, the number of working households “severely cost-burdened” by the cost of housing dipped slightly in 2012.

February 21, 2014 - Governing

Charlotte’s Growth Raises Transit and Housing Questions

A pair of recent articles examine the political and financing situation around transit (e.g., streetcar and light rail) and housing (i.e., a rental development boom) in Charlotte, which has paced the nation in growth over the past decade.

February 21, 2014 - Fast Co.Exist

Shanghai Maglev

The Future is Cities

Cities are growing faster than you can say megalopolis. But as populations around the world shift to urban areas, cities are also focal points for global challenges—water, energy, health. MIT is working to address these issues.

February 20, 2014 - Spectrvm

Boston’s Micro-Apartment Experiment Continues

Boston, like other cities around the country, suffers from a housing shortage. Initial micro-apartment developments met plenty of demand, but whether the model is a panacea for the city’s housing shortage is still in question.

February 20, 2014 - WBUR

Sunnyside Queens

Affordable Housing in New York City—What’s Next

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has set a lofty goal of creating or preserving 200,000 units of affordable housing in New York City. How can the mayor's team deliver on that promise?

February 20, 2014 - Edward Poteat

Does Reducing Regulations Yield Expanded Housing Options?

Outdated and onerous regulations, particularly those found in zoning ordinances, are affecting the availability of housing choice. What can communities do to expand their hosing stock? C.J. Gabbe explains.

February 19, 2014 - Community Builders

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.

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