Housing

Britain Squashes Squatters

Squatting has been a rite of passage for British youth since at least the 1960s, but a new law criminalizing the practice, amid a rise in squatters due to the economic crisis, is "upending the rebellious and politically charged British subculture."

September 24, 2012 - The Washington Post

Is International Immigration the Solution for Declining Cities?

With researching suggesting international immigration can kick-start local economies, cities across America are contemplating efforts at attracting, and retaining, immigrants. But are immigrants the silver bullet to revive declining cities?

September 24, 2012 - Bloomberg

New York's Small Apartments Are a Big Hit Among Developers

A pilot project spearheaded by the Bloomberg administration to develop a new housing model for the City’s "growing small-household population," has attracted a big response from interested housing developers.

September 23, 2012 - The Wall Street Journal

Homes of Billionaires Rise to New Heights

New York City's supertall skyscrapers court billionaires, selling prime real estate in the sky for tens of millions of dollars. The latest trophy building, One57, will soon become the city's tallest building with residences.

September 23, 2012 - The New York Times

Does Neighborhood Determine Personal Success?

Although the findings of a vast, decades-long study into the effectiveness of efforts to decrease the segregation of poor families did not turn up the results social scientists had hoped for, those efforts were successful in unexpected ways.

September 22, 2012 - The New York Times

New Home Construction Shows More Porches, Fewer Garages Per 2011 Census Data

As if to show that "walkable" is the new mobility in America, even with single-family-homes, new census findings show two-thirds of homes constructed last year had front porches while the number of garages or carports decreased to late 1990 levels.

September 22, 2012 - USA Today

High-Rise Living Becoming More Popular in Canada's Big Cities

Statistics Canada has released more data from the 2011 Census, this time focusing on household composition and type of dwelling. The data finds that growth in housing stock in Canada's larger cities is tied to high-rise living.

September 21, 2012 - Vancouver Sun

How Andres Duany Envisions the Future by 'Translating' the Present

Rick Hampson explores the New Urbanist vision for how cities will be designed and planned over the next 30 years, as told by the movement's co-founder, Andres Duany.

September 19, 2012 - USA Today

Is L.A. TOD Purposely Pushing out Low-Income Residents and Local Businesses?

A protest last week through downtown Los Angeles was meant to raise awareness of local activists' concerns that Los Angeles County Metro is displacing working class people and small businesses as it develops land adjacent to its stations.

September 17, 2012 - KPCC

Britain Seeks to Ease Land Use Regulations to Stimulate the Economy

According to Prime Minister David Cameron, planning regulations are the boogeyman holding back the UK's economy. Thus, in an effort to boost construction, Cameron is proposing to ease the country's rules on which projects require planning approvals.

September 15, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Setback for BIG's Angular NYC Premier

Citing a lack of affordable housing, a Manhattan Community Board has sent architecture's hot young firm, Denmark-base Bjarke Ingels Group (aka BIG), back to the drawing board to amend the design for their premier New York project.

September 13, 2012 - The New York Observer

Strengthening Recovery Has Downtown LA Booming Again

While the housing crash may have temporarily halted the dramatic growth in downtown LA's residential sector, new retail and restaurant openings continued. Now, as the housing market recovers, developers are clawing to get back to building residences.

September 12, 2012 - Los Angeles Downtown News

Detailing DC's Shift to Walkable Urbanism

Walkable urban places are poised to "put a foundation under the economy as well as government tax revenues," concludes Christopher Leinberger in a new report. Better! Cities & Towns delivers some highlights from his much anticipated study.

September 11, 2012 - Better! Cities & Towns

Will Portland-Style Apartments Catch On in San Francisco?

It's a mere 12 units but a huge test for apartments with no auto parking but plenty of bike parking. The 5-story, mixed-use Mission District building was unanimously approved by the Planning Commission on Sept. 6 despite neighborhood opposition.

September 11, 2012 - Streetsblog San Francisco

Is Downtown Any Place to Raise a Family?

Certainly, says Brent Toderian. And with children "the indicator species of a great neighbourhood," he argues that cities should be designed with families in mind.

September 10, 2012 - HuffPost British Columbia

The (Slow) Rise of Wireless Technology

The technology is there, and has been for a decade. Still, Wi-Fi's roll-out into our homes has been slow, at best, and continues to be confronted by various challenges.

September 8, 2012 - The New York Times

Housing Mobility Provides a Prescription for Healthy Living

Moving families from segregated, high poverty neighborhoods, into desegregated "areas of opportunity" has multiple effects. Housing mobility programs help revitalize communities and improve the physical and mental health of families involved.

September 6, 2012 - Shelterforce Magazine

Irreplaceable but Riddled with Problems, Can NYC's Public Housing be Saved?

Matt Chaban profiles John Rhea, NYC Housing Authority Chairman, and his efforts to improve the city's last bastion of affordable apartments.

September 6, 2012 - The New York Observer

Walkable Urbanism Sets the Pace for Real Estate Recovery

As the real estate market comes back to life, walkable urbanism is poised to become the dominant mode of development across America. Emily Badger explains why Washington D.C.'s land use evolution portends the future of cities everywhere.

September 5, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Aging Boomers Changing the Shape of Cities Across America

It's not just the Sun Cities of America that are planning for how to meet the needs of the country's coming bulge in its over-65 population. Ryan Holeywell highlights how some cities are adapting their built environments for an aging population.

September 5, 2012 - Governing

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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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.