Housing
Notes on Structural Change: Redefining the Problem of Weak Markets
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.
Americans Moving Less, Getting Rooted
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.
Tent Handouts Hope to Provide Shelter and Spotlight in Vancouver
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.
An Oasis of Safety in One of L.A.'s Toughest Neighborhoods
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.
The Density Game - On YouTube
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.
New Urbanism in Abu Dhabi
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.
Brazilians Reinterpret Their Living Spaces
In this paper, Gustavo Rivera Jr. (Ph. D. candidate in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Chicago) evaluates the economic and sociocultural impact of recently developed public housing estates within the favelas of Belo Horizonte.
How The Housing Bubble Affected Demographics
Economist Edward L. Glaeser takes a look at how the housing bubble has affected changing populations in the Sun Belt.
A Suburban Bird's Eye View
Metropolis presents a slideshow of photographs by artist Christoph Gielen, who photographs suburban developments from a helicopter.
Why is Prefab Impossible to Get Built?
A new study out in JAPA this week details the fire codes, zoning codes, subdivision regulations, etc., that prevent manufactured housing from being built.
2000 - 2009: The Decade in Planning
The editors' choice of the most significant stories in the realm of urban planning, design and development of the "aughts" (2000-2009). The decade began with one crash and ended with another, but in between we've learned a lot about making cities.
What is the New "Normal" in Housing Prices?
Ed Glaeser argues that housing needs to be viewed as a commodity like any other, rather than an investment.
Black Majority Fades in Harlem
Once the Capital of Black America, Harlem is undergoing a population shift that is taking blacks out of the majority.
Federal Foreclosure Prevention Plan Shows Underwhelming Numbers
A federal plan aimed at helping 3 to 4 million homeowners on the verge of foreclosure has fallen far short of expectations, enabling only about 31,000 loan modifications.
NYT on Housing: "Things Didn't Have to Get this Bad"
This New York Times editorial argues that the present strategy to fix the housing mess isn't working; real relief in the form of principal reduction is needed.
When Home Is 32.5 Sq.Ft: Tokyo Capsules
While the U.S. has its infamous Single Room Occupancy hotels, Tokyo has its "capsule" hotels - making SROs appear downright spacious by comparison. This article and accompanying slide show looks at life for one resident of Capsule Hotel Shinjuku 510.
A Bubble to Burst in China?
As housing costs rise in China, a TV soap opera about the housing hunt has become a runaway hit. And while many in the growing country are concerned about the high cost of housing, some economists fear a burst of the bubble.
Disconnected from Society? Gated Communities: Their Lifestyle versus Urban Governance
Peer Smets (VU University Amsterdam) investigates the socio-cultural impacts of specific patterns of urban segregation (gated communities) on local urban politics and urban governance.
New Research: Effect of Suburban TODs on Surrounding Property Values
Mention 'density' in suburban areas and the knee-jerk reaction is, "there go the property values". But is that really the case? In this study from San Jose State University, 4 suburban TODs are evaluated for their effects on nearby property values.
Guide to Street Vending and Tenants Rights
These two posts from BLDGBLOG look at an innovative project that visually explains the convoluted policies and rules of New York City tenant rights and street vending regulations.
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.
KFH Group Inc.
Greater Baltimore Committee
Eagle County Government
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
