Housing

Amid the economic recession, Habitat for Humanity is transitioning from the construction of single-family homes to more affordable condominiums.

February 15, 2010 - The Washington Post

Writing for The New York Times, Timothy Egan takes a look at some of the empty cities that were abandoned after the housing crash, and why they will be the slums of tomorrow.

February 14, 2010 - NYTimes: Opinionator Blog

As homelessness rises in cities and suburbs across the country, local municipalities are trying to get the newly homeless back into homes as quickly as they can.

February 13, 2010 - Governing

What housing slump? Canada's real estate recovery has been so fast, some analysts worry it signals a return to speculation.

February 9, 2010 - Wall Street Journal

City Creek Center is a $1 billion mixed-use development project that some say is a godsend for downtown Salt Lake City, creating jobs during a tough economy. Others wonder how the church's influence will play out in the culture of the project.

February 8, 2010 - The New York Times

Obama's brand new Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities admits to being inspired by Portland's groundbreaking urban planning policies.

February 7, 2010 - The Oregonian

Prospect Plaza, three public housing towers in Brooklyn, were vacated in 2003 for refurbishment. NYC has long renovated their public housing towers instead of tearing them down, so the announcement marks a major change for the city.

February 6, 2010 - The New York Times

Custom Home Magazine reports that not only are home sizes down for the first time in 30 years, but the number of bedrooms and bathrooms is down in new homes as well.

February 6, 2010 - CustomHomeOnline

HUD announced this week the formation of a new Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities, along with $100 million in grants for regional integrated planning initiatives.

February 5, 2010 - The Seattle Times

A survey of Baby Boomers finds an increasing willingness to move after retirement, and the new tipping point for "old age".

February 5, 2010 - Builder

As a preventive measure to avoid future NIMBYism, an Air Force base in Arizona has effectively blocked the spread of residential development close to its borders.

February 4, 2010 - The Arizona Republic

Housing affordability is too often seen as the way to stabilize and revitalize weak markets. Neighborhood planning consultants Charles Buki and Elizabeth Humphrey Schilling argue that interventions in weak markets must encourage investment by improving market confidence.

February 4, 2010 - Charles Buki

Instead of building its signature single family homes in dense New York neighborhoods, Habitat is expanding its model to include LEED-certified apartment buildings.

February 4, 2010 - New York Times

The housing market -- and especially the exurban housing market -- played a major role in bringing about the current economic recession, according to this piece from Christopher Leinberger. He says sprawl is unlikely to regain its lost value.

January 28, 2010 - The New Republic

The foreclosure crisis spreading across America has burdened cities and neighborhoods with value-draining vacancies and abandoned properties. To counteract the economic havoc they've caused, planners and policymakers must focus on restoring confidence in the market, according to neighborhood planning consultants Charles Buki and Elizabeth Humphrey Schilling.

January 28, 2010 - Charles Buki

In the 1950s, nearly 1/5 of Americans moved each year. That trend is quickly reversing. Americans are now staying put in greater numbers than at any time since World War II, and experts have plenty of opinions on why that is.

January 28, 2010 - New York Times

A human rights group in Vancouver is hoping to distribute free tents to the city's homeless in an attempt to temporarily shelter the homeless and bring attention to the city's homelessness when it plays host to the Winter Olympics.

January 27, 2010 - The Tyee

In the midst of a dangerous and crime-prone area, one small section of L.A.'s South central neighborhood has retained a lower-than-average homicide rate and higher-than-average property values.

January 27, 2010 - Los Angeles Times

Dan Zack, downtown development coordinator for Redwood City, CA, gave a 50-minute presentation on Delightful Density to a Palo Alto audience on Nov. 5. This 12-minute excerpt is composed of 17 buildings - get out your pencils and guess their density.

January 24, 2010 - YouTube

While Dubai's fantastical Burj Khalifa is mostly empty and development has ground to a halt, Abu Dhabi continues to develop - and smartly, says Philip Langdon.

January 21, 2010 - New Urban News