Housing
Massachusetts Struggles to Retain its Young Talent
The Bay State is terrific at attracting the leading young minds from around to world to its prestigious institutions of higher education. But when those students graduate, high housing prices are forcing them out of the state, writes Edward Glaeser.
Oslo Plans for an Intercultural Future
Oslo's once-homogenous population has changed dramatically in the past few decades: immigrants and their descendants are predicted to account for 50% of all residents by 2030. Sarah Wesseler looks at the spatial implications of this transition.
Why Buying a Home Now Isn't the Bargain You Might Think
With home prices at their lowest in a decade and mortgage rates at historic lows, one would thing buying a home now would be significantly cheaper than it was five years ago. Not so, says a new study.
Breaking Down Barriers to Shared Open Space
Anne Marie Chaker reports on the emergence of the "shared backyard," in which a surprising number of neighbors are combining resources to create bigger gardens and more space to entertain.
As the Housing Market Rebounds, Sprawl is Poised to Come With It
A new report from the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies released this week claims that sprawl is poised to make a comeback after a pause driven by the recession, and not lasting changes in lifestyle choice, reports Robbie Whelan.
Ahoy, Housing Relief in Sight for D.C.
Lydia DePillis describes the "apartment iceberg" coming to Washington D.C. in 2013 that has developers on edge, and tenants salivating.
Can L.A. Protect its Vulnerable Populations from Transit-Induced Development?
With Los Angeles embarking on the "largest transit expansion in the United States," a new report looks at ways the city can preserve critical affordable housing in areas ripe for transit-oriented economic development.
City Officials, Homeless Advocates at Odds over Bans
Is "compassion fatigue" driving Philadelphia and other cities to adopt ordinances to crack down on the homeless? Homeless advocates contend that these measures are counterproductive, as they force the homeless into criminal means of getting by.
Is a New Vision for Stockholm Meant to Sway or Scare?
As cities across the world look for ways to blend higher densities to accommodate the increased demand for urban living, a recent proposal for how to solve Stockholm's critical lack of housing in the core of the city may define "inelegant density."
Why Neighbors May Want to Welcome Wal-Mart With Open Arms
Two assistant professors from the University of Chicago and BYU have found that the addition of a Wal-Mart store in a neighborhood can raise the value of homes within a mile of the store, reports Mary Ellen Podmolik.
Forced Eviction Stirs Public Outrage in Taiwan
One family in Taipei has rallied support for "victims of urban renewal" after the city demolished their home to make way for high-rise apartments, Loa Lok-Sin reports.
Demand Outstripping Supply in Recovering Housing Market
Prospective buyers in the recovering housing market are finding a much harder time than expected to purchase a home, as a shortage of good properties for sale drives cutthroat competition.
Curitiba Fails to Keep Up With its Vaunted Reputation
The waning popularity of its transportation system and the lack of attention to its lower-income population has put Curitiba’s “reputation as an urban planning model” on the line.
Doing it Anyway: How Nonprofits are Tackling the Challenge of Scattered-Site Rentals
Scattered-site rental management is something nonprofits have long found to be a challenge. But there are ways of pulling it off, and those who have done it tell Shelterforce how, and why it’s worth it.
In S.F., it's Tech Companies In and Diversity Out
Twitter’s move into San Francisco this month is part of a new trend of tech companies setting up in the city, causing rents to skyrocket, and forcing lower-income residents out.
Rise in Home Rentals Is Transforming a Neighborhood Near You
Julie Schmit explores what the "unprecedented" growth in the single-family home rental market means for home builders, school districts, and the consumer economy.
Revitalization's Best Friend
Marissa Gluck attributes downtown L.A.'s resurgence to some unlikely community development partners - our four-legged friends.
The History of the American House, In Five Rooms
Amanda Kolson Hurley reviews the ambitious exhibit House and Home, on view at the National Building Museum in Washington D.C.
Lamenting Toronto's Missing Middle
Christopher Hume surveys Toronto's "mid-rise crisis" and asks why the city has made it nearly impossible to build "the urban residential form par excellence."
Can Nonprofits Tap Into the $17.5 billion Market in Distressed Mortgages?
The sale of distressed mortgages is far less publicized than talk of the market for foreclosed properties. But these loans are being actively traded—in 2011 this activity included 149,000 loans which translates to roughly $26 billion in trades.
Pagination
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