Housing

Home Loan Program Fueled Foreclosure Boom in Cleveland

In trying to turn people into homeowners, the city of Cleveland's participation in a federally-funded home loan program greatly exacerbated its foreclosure crisis.

December 15, 2009 - The Cleveland Plain Dealer

Second Record Year for Foreclosures

By the end of the year, more than 3.9 million homes will have been foreclosed in the U.S., the second year in a row that figures have broken previous records.

December 11, 2009 - Business Week

Moving Up to a Rental

Former homeowners forced out of their houses are becoming renters. It seems to be a good thing for them -- and the economy.

December 11, 2009 - The Wall Street Journal

Four-Year Vacancies in NYC?

The New York City Housing Authority has come under fire because thousands of affordable rental units are sitting vacant, some for years at a time.

December 10, 2009 - The New York Times

130,000 Homeless Veterans

This article, by Dr. Ellen Bassuk of the National Center on Family Homelessness, explores the challenges faced by returning veterans in housing.

December 9, 2009 - The Washington Times

Property Values Not Hurt By Proximity to Wind Turbines

According to a new report from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the proximity of homes to wind turbines showed no average negative impact on property values.

December 7, 2009 - The New York Times

Can Homeowners "Save the Dream"?

Andy Kroll wanders through the rubble of California's subprime crisis and finds homeowners waiting 10-12 hours in lines for mortgage relief, plummeting property values, and what may be the seeds of more foreclosures to come.

December 2, 2009 - TomDispatch

Affordable Housing Laws At Risk in CA

The California Supreme Court has refused to re-hear a decision made by a lower court on affordable housing requirements, which may make such requirements throughout the state invalid.

December 1, 2009 - San Francisco Chronicle

Redeveloping Open Space to Revive Housing Projects

Public housing projects have been a thorn in the paw of New York City for years. The city is trying to figure out what to do with the perennially problem-plagued housing projects. Some groups say redevelopment is the answer.

November 27, 2009 - City Limits

Front Yards Are For Lawns, Not Cars, City Says

Queens and Brooklyn homeowners may soon be prohibited from converting front yards into parking pads if a set of regulations is approved. The loss of street parking from new curb cuts was cited as a reason, along with aesthetics.

November 23, 2009 - New York Times-N.Y./Region (blog)

Living in 100 Square Feet

Photographer Michael Wolf visited Hong Kong's oldest public housing estate, and photographed 100 of the 100 ft. square rooms in the building.

November 22, 2009 - Michael Wolf Photography

Suburbs See Rise in Kids in Poverty

2008 Census estimates reveal that in the city center of Fort Worth, Texas, the number of school-age children living in poverty has dropped whereas the surrounding suburban communities have seen increasing numbers.

November 20, 2009 - Fort Worth Star Telegram

Huge San Francisco Redevelopment Project Underway

It's the largest redevelopment project since the great earthquake of 1906: 702 acres, 10,500 residential units, a shipyard brownfield cleanup, and a new stadium (hopefully) for the 49ers. The Environmental Impact Report has just been released.

November 19, 2009 - San Francisco Chronicle

The Remarkable Rezoning of NYC

Recently the NYC Planning Dept. announced its 100th rezoning since Bloomberg took office. This article takes a spin through the city's remarkable shift in the last 50 years away from industry to business and tourism and a sustainable approach.

November 16, 2009 - New York Observer

Extreme Makeover Makeover in Buffalo

The planning staff of Buffalo, NY lobbied ABC to bring their program Extreme Makeover: Home Edition to Buffalo - and change their suburban standards to New Urbanist ones.

November 16, 2009 - Buffalo Rising

Reconsidering the McMansion Business

Builders John Wieland Homes & Neighborhoods, hit hard by the downturn, is meeting consumer price points by creating compact home designs instead of the 4,700 sq. ft. homes that were their bread and butter.

November 15, 2009 - The Wall St. Journal

New London, Four Years After Kelo

The 2005 Supreme Court decision on Kelo v. New London was a landmark in eminent domain law, paving the way for Pfizer to develop there. Four years later, Pfizer is pulling up stakes.

November 13, 2009 - The Hartford Courant

FHA Feeling the Pinch

The Federal Housing Administration said today that its reserves are dwindling because of risky loans they insured and the drop in home prices.

November 13, 2009 - The New York Times

Can Homelessness be Designed Out?

Urban designers Terri Chiao and Deborah Grossberg Katz take on the problem of homelessness in New York proactively, rather than waiting for RFPs to come in.

November 12, 2009 - Urban Omnibus

The Solution for Homelessness? Homes.

Neal Peirce says that there is finally light at the end of the tunnel in the debate over homelessness, and a consensus that stopgaps don't work. The real answer is to, duh, give them homes.

November 6, 2009 - Citiwire.net

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.

Transportation Planner I

KFH Group Inc.

Director, Strategy and Research

Greater Baltimore Committee

Senior Planner

Eagle County Government

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.