Housing
City And Business House Homeless
San Antonio, Texas, is partnering with business and nonprofit groups on a project aimed at curbing homelessness.
New Housing/Mobility Measurement For Affordability Is 45%
The housing affordability rule of thumb is that you should not pay more that 30% of your income in rent or mortgage payment. Yet that ratio doesn't include the transportation costs that vary by community. What would it be if it was included?
Mortgage Tax Breaks Encourage McMansions
Edward L. Glaeser says that the government policy of encouraging homeownership through tax breaks subsidizes Americans to buy bigger homes which waste energy.
Jane Jacobs Missed the Mark on Density
Jane Jacobs is probably the most well-regarded writer on urban issues in American history. But, as economist Edward L. Glaeser argues, her stance on urban density is a little bit off-target.
"Rezoning Madness" in Ireland
Local authorities throughout Ireland have rezoned ag land into residential at a ridiculous rate, according to a recent study that shows a demand for fewer than 300,000 units where 800,000 units are now allowed.
Looking Beyond Shelter to Help Low-Income People
Neal Peirce looks at the new concept of "comprehensive community development," which expands the scope of affordable housing to include jobs, schools and public safety.
Canadians Overinvested in Their Homes, Says Florida
Richard Florida writes that Canadians great love for homebuying (with a greater home ownership rate than even the U.S.) could be economically instable.
Portland's Empty Urban Renewal Area
Tax breaks and incentives helped spur a rash of development in Portland's South Waterfront district. But the development has struggled to lure residents.
Can Mass Demolitions Save Detroit?
In this video report from CNN, Detroit politicians and residents voice both opposition and support for the plan to demolish up to 3,000 abandoned homes and densify remaining housing.
The Urban-Suburban Housing Conundrum
Marcelle Cerny describes her family's so-far-fruitless quest for an affordable, suburban-sized home in an urban area close to public transit and amenities.
Toxic Suburbia
A 50-acre section of the Los Angeles suburb of Carson is contaminated with methane gas and benzene. Owners of the 285 homes in the area are left with few options.
Real Estate Scandal and Planning Reform in Jerusalem
Described as being the biggest corruption scandal in Israel's history, the Holyland Park scandal highlights the need for tighter regulation of land use planning in Israel. But with the Prime Minister's support for deregulation, reform looks unlikely.
Fixing Neighborhoods in Savannah
Fast Company released their annual "Fast Cities" issue, featuring 12 cities the editors believe are taking innovative approaches. Savannah, Georgia was chosen for its Neighborhood Renaissance Savannah program, which cleans up abandoned homes.
The One-Two Punch of Job Losses and Falling Home Values
Housing devaluation and job loss are the two major problems affecting America's urban areas. But as this article from Governing explains, those two problems are playing out in drastically different ways from metro to metro.
Lots of Jobs, But No Housing for Workers
North Dakota is undergoing a jobs boom right now, but it doesn't have the housing stock to match the new increase in workers.
Subdivisions Built Around Agriculture
This article from GOOD wonders whether farms could become the new cornerstone amenity in suburban residential communities.
Running Cities Like A Business
Former Albuquerque Mayor Martin J. Chavez writes that the great success of Mayor Bloomberg's PlanNYC is due in large part to a process that borrowed key principles from the business world.
Market Crash Leaves L.A. Flush With High-Priced Plots
Bought at the height of the real estate market and intended for conversion into high-priced luxury apartment buildings, empty plots of land are littered throughout Los Angeles, undeveloped and quietly back on the market at greatly reduced prices.
Communicating Codes Through Song
When working a charrette in Jamaica, architect Steve Mouzon inadvertently inspired local children to set a recommendation for urban farming to song.
Green Building Flourishes in New Orleans
With more than 500 energy-efficient homes with environmentally friendly features are being built in New Orleans. This rise in green building is being called one of the positive legacies of Hurricane Katrina.
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
