Housing

San Francisco Emerges From a Housing Slump

John Wildermuth discusses San Francisco's bounce back from a tremendous slowdown in new housing construction last year.

May 23, 2012 - City Insider

The Changing Tastes of the 55+ Housing Market

Jill P. Capuzzo describes the shift in consumer demand for different amenities in homes targeted for the 55+ market, and how loosening age and cost limitations have helped such developments survive in a segment hit especially hard by the downturn.

May 23, 2012 - The New York Times

After the Crash: How Will People Live and Spend in the New Economy?

Kathleen Madigan takes a look at new research that considers the shift in America's living situations, and what it means for consumer behavior.

May 20, 2012 - The Wall Street Journal

Quality of Place Trumps Density, says Richard Florida

Ten years after publishing of The Rise of the Creative Class, the prominent city-booster says high-rises are “vertical suburbs” and we need “urban environments that stir the spirit.”

May 19, 2012 - Better! Cities & Towns

The Housing Market Revolution

Haya El Nasser describes the housing market's fundamental structural changes as the housing industry rethinks what type of housing to build and where to build it.

May 17, 2012 - USA Today

Top 10 Websites - 2012

Our annual list of the 10 best planning, design, and development websites represents some of the top online resources for news, information and research on the built environment.

May 15, 2012 - Abhijeet Chavan

Where Should You Take Your Diploma?

Just graduated? For the 60% of you who won't be moving back home, Richard Florida examines the best places for college grads to find jobs, housing, friends, and a little spending money.

May 14, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Habitat for Humanity Builds Big in Portland

Kirk Johnson chronicles the nonprofit housing builder's move into larger-scale housing development in Oregon, as it takes advantage of the depressed real estate market, and the kindness of donors.

May 13, 2012 - The New York Times

Has New Urbanism Reached a Midlife Crisis?

On the occasion of the 20th Congress for the New Urbanism, running through the weekend in West Palm Beach, Anthony Flint looks at what happens when a revolutionary movement becomes part of the establishment.

May 11, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

An Argument for Housing Choice

Trying to thread the needle between those who celebrate the demise of the exurb and those who bemoan smart growth policies, Edward Glaeser argues that we can, and should, have it all when it comes to housing choice in America.

May 10, 2012 - Bloomberg View

In the Wake of Foreclosures, Nationwide Rents Hit All-Time High

Struggling families and young professionals are competing for a dwindling supply of ever more pricey rentals, Alejandro Lazo reports.

May 10, 2012 - Los Angeles Times

D.C.'s Rapidly Disappearing Affordable Housing

In a city that survived the recession better than most, efforts to meet the demand for upscale housing will "change the face of the city for decades to come," reports Annys Shin.

May 7, 2012 - The Washington Post

Why Are Condos Such a Tough Sell in LA?

As a number of luxury high-rise condo buildings struggle to sell their units, Alexei Barrionuevo looks at the difficulty of selling a high-density lifestyle in a city "where the seriously wealthy overwhelmingly prefer living in extravagant estates."

May 7, 2012 - The New York Times

India's Megacity Discusses its Mega-Problems

Naresh Fernandes chronicles a recent upsurge in events providing opportunities for Mumbai's residents, and fascinated guests, to discuss the city's myriad challenges, and possible solutions. But can all the talk result in real action?

May 4, 2012 - The New York Times

Berlin's Answer to Gentrification, Circa 1980

Christine McLaren considers the history of urban housing in Berlin, and reveals a long-defunct program designed to address a problem faced by countless communities today.

May 3, 2012 - BMW Guggenheim Lab

Colorado Confronts Senior Housing Crisis

Reflecting trends likely to effect many cities in the coming years and decades, Magdalena Wegrzyn reports on the growing need for affordable housing for seniors in the City of Longmont, 30 miles outside of Denver.

May 3, 2012 - The Denver Post

California's Growing Housing Imbalance

Robert Steuteville looks at a recent report on the Golden State's supply and demand imbalance in the housing market. It's not what the The Wall Street Journal has led you to believe.

May 2, 2012 - Better Cities & Towns

The Empty Playgrounds of the Stateless Super-Rich

Tanya Powley and Lucy Warwick-Ching examine the growing market in super-prime homes for the global "super-rich", and its negative impact on local communities.

May 1, 2012 - The Financial Times

D.C.'s Proposed Palace Courts Controversy

Justin Jouvenal tells of plans for a 25,424-square-foot mansion modeled on the Palace of Versailles, to be built in a Washington D.C. suburb, that's causing a collision between "new and old ideas about the way Washington expresses its success."

April 29, 2012 - The Washington Post

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.