Housing
Out-Migration: An Urban Conundrum
High cost of living and lack of jobs are driving urban populations out of cities, and simply increasing density requirements might not be enough to reverse the trend, argues Jim Russell.
Wright's Usonian High-Rises Foiled by the Great Depression
Frank Lloyd Wright's design for a Usonian high-rise on the Bowery featured rotated open floor plans to provide living space variation.
Making Smoke-free Housing Laws Strong – but Humane
As cities and counties move forward with smoke-free housing laws, a different public health concern often gets lost in the shuffle: how to make sure these new laws don’t put low-income residents at risk of losing their homes.
This Old House: Ranking America's Oldest Cities
Anyone with an Internet connection can tell you when a city was founded. But after the trauma of urban renewal and suburban flight, how much historic fabric remains? Wendell Cox ranks metropolitan areas by their shares of pre-World War II homes.
The Enduring Attraction of Containerized Urbanism
Architectural historian Mitchell Schwarzer traces the historic roots of container architecture and argues that today's shipping container developments, like Proxy in San Francisco, are leading the way to a new kind of urbanism.
Can L.A. Transform a Notorious Housing Project into a Vibrant Mixed-Income Community?
Jessica Garrison reports on the ambitious $600 million "makeover" planned for the Jordan Downs housing project. The phased transformation, which allows any existing resident "in good standing" to stay, will be the largest such effort in the U.S.
Housing Homeless Provides Payday for NYC Landlords
Because of an acute shortage in accommodations for the city's homeless, NYC's Department of Homeless Services (DHS) is willing to pay exorbitant sums to house the needy in privately owned buildings. The practice is not without its critics.
S.F.'s Beleaguered Housing Authority Gets Gutted
San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee took drastic measures to initiate a turnaround of the city's troubled Housing Authority on Friday by replacing all but one member of the city's Housing Authority Commission.
Hukou: China's Great Urbanization Challenge
A 2,000 year old household registration system in China ties temporary urban workers to rural life.
America's Housing Stock in Need of Triage
In rising to meet America's changing housing needs and demands, not every community is positioned to pull it off. What to do? Painful though it is, Ben Brown suggests triage.
Housing Boom on Tap for Downtown Chicago; Will the Bubble Burst?
Alby Gallun looks at Chicago's downtown apartment boom, which is supposed to add 4,700 units to the market by the end of 2014. Will lenders allow the bubble to burst?
Postwar Suburbia from the Air
On Places, D.J. Waldie assesses iconic aerial photographs of Lakewood, California, one of the nation's first postwar planned communities.
Florida to Obama: Establish a Department of Cities
Lamenting the lack of a single big, transformative urban idea during President Obama's first term, Richard Florida urges the president to establish a new cabinet-level Department of Cities to build a "lasting urban legacy."
An Appraisal of Ed Koch's Impact on New York
Former New York City mayor Ed Koch passed away on Friday at the age of 88. For the popular figure who was known for stopping constituents on the street to ask, “How’m I doin’?”, Joseph Berger endeavors to deliver an answer.
Vienna's Lessons for Building High-Quality Affordable Housing
Could Vienna's century of experience in creating housing that is both affordable and attractive offers lessons for how the U.S. can address its growing affordability crisis? In the Austrian capital, more regulation, not less, leads to cheaper rents.
Should Communities Encourage, Not Stifle, Mansionization?
As cities across the country consider ways to limit teardowns and large home construction in established neighborhoods, Anthony Flint argues that communities should be flattered by "mansionization" and accommodating to this form of smart growth.
Housing Recovery Gains Momentum, But Are We in for a Bumpy Ride?
While the housing market showed signs of improvement last year, economists are now confident that a recovery is underway. Housing currently adds 13 percent to the nation's economic growth, but is this a good thing?
Sandy Damaged Homes Sold 'As Is' for Millions
Homes in the Rockaways are being marketed and sold in the battered conditions that Hurricane Sandy left them, reports Elizabeth A. Harris. Existing residents view them as investment opportunities, but long-term market conditions are uncertain.
Stop Segregating the Rich! Fighting Displacement Fights Crime
Isolating poor residents from rich ones is not only bad for those being segregated, it leads to the worst outcomes for a city as a whole. Fighting displacement results in less crime and more stable and healthy communities.
Chicago Area Taking Aggressive Steps to Stabilize Housing Market
Although the nation's housing market appears to be improving, the foreclosure crisis is far from over. Following in the footsteps of other localities, Cook County, Illinois, is creating a countywide land bank to help address its foreclosures.
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.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
