Housing
Affordable Housing Plan Moving Forward in New York
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's plan to build or preserve 165,000 units of affordable housing by 2013 is moving forward, but some have concerns about how the plan will be affected by a diving housing market.
Abandoned Houses and Vacancies Cause Cities Pain
Cities across the country scramble to deal with abandoned properties as they drive down local economies.
Feds Throw Homeowners a 'Lifeline'
The U.S. Treasury and HUD have announced a new program called Project Lifeline, to help at-risk mortgage holders.
Israeli Housing Construction Threatens Peace Talks
Israel's announced construction of more than 1,000 housing units in disputed East Jerusalem is being met with a hostile response from Palestinian officials, who claim the land as the future capital of an independent Palestine.
Own to Rent?
Dean Baker of the Center for Economic and Policy Research suggests that one way that the federal government could help millions of Americans squeezed by the housing crisis is to permit homeowners to enter "own-to-rent" arrangements.
Housing of the Future is Transit-Oriented
As transit oriented development gains ground in cities across the country, it is increasingly seen as the model for the future of multi-family housing.
Increasing Affordable Housing Requirement Sparks Debate in San Francisco
Planners in San Francisco are battling with city supervisors over plans to increase the affordable housing requirements for a new development -- a proposal that some planners say might scare off developers.
Cities Struggle to Counter Post-Foreclosure Abandonment
Foreclosed homes continue to plague cities across the country as large swaths of land and entire neighborhoods are abandoned.
Developers Avoid Building Required Affordable Housing in Maryland
While Montgomery County, Maryland had one of the first affordable housing programs in the country, recently, the community has not seen the required units constructed by developers.
Census Bureau Report Confirms Housing Crisis
The U.S. Census Bureau's Report on Vacancies and Homeownership shows that homeownership rates are declining while inventories of available housing are increasing.
A Green Lens for Affordable Housing
This article looks at how landscape architects have combined green roofs, public spaces and affordable housing to address the chronic homelessness in San Francisco's infamous Tenderloin district.
The New Redlining
Mortgage lenders are increasingly imposing new loaning restrictions on risky areas encompassed by entire ZIP codes and county lines, creating what some are calling the "new redlining".
Downtown Denver Redevelops
The redevelopment of the original center of Denver has brought a boom of new residents to the formerly avoided downtown area.
Greening Levittown - One House At A Time
Levittown, Long Island has undertaken a green makeover, complete with individualized energy audits that enable improvements to reduce each home's carbon footprint by 20%. But greening the houses doesn't make for a green neighborhood.
Who Will Sort the 'Trash-Outs'?
Amid the many negative impacts from the fallout of the subprime crisis is an emerging and disturbing trend: foreclosed homeowners are trashing their properties on their way out the door.
The Suburban Home: an Asset or a Liability?
This article from The Atlantic looks at the rising troubles experienced in the nation's suburbs since the foreclosure explosion.
Forcelosure Hot Spots
This article from Forbes examines foreclosure data to map out the cities that have been hit hardest by the subprime mortgage bust.
Rent Control Under Fire In California
A California ballot initiative heading to voters in June could bring an end to the state's rent control laws.
Oakland to Open Eco-Friendly Homeless Shelter
Crossroads, a 125-bed homeless facility, incorporates green building concepts to better serve its clients. Many homeless people have respiratory-related health problems and a green building will be healthier for them.
A Kick in the Fannie Mae?
Troubled by allegations of fraud by a former CEO, and weighted down by trillions of dollars in possibly worthless mortgage-backed securities, Fannie Mae may also be the victim of a federal agenda of privatization, writes Scott Thill.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie
