Housing

View of Seattle skyline with houses in foreground

Seattle Passes New Housing Levy

The measure will bring roughly $1 billion to the city’s affordable housing efforts.

November 9, 2023 - The Seattle Times

View of Tower Bridge over Sacramento River and downtown Sacramento, California at dusk.

Sacramento Approves ‘Safe Stay’ Parking for Unhoused Residents

Officials acknowledged the project is a short-term solution, but called it an interim step as the county adds more homeless services.

November 9, 2023 - Yahoo

Large colorful letter G in front of Google campus building in Mountain View, California.

Google Seeks New Direction for Massive Housing Proposal

The company parted ways with its development partner, signaling a shift in strategy for a proposed 15,000-unit housing and office space project on Google-owned land in Silicon Valley.

November 9, 2023 - Fast Company

Elderly woman in pink shirt sitting at table on porch across from elderly man in white shirt. A pot of pink flowers sits on the table.

How Zoning Reform can Help Seniors ‘Age in Place’

Without more middle housing options, the United States will be short on ‘aging-ready’ homes.

November 8, 2023 - Stateline

Milwaukee, Wisconsin skyline with houses in foreground.

A Look at Milwaukee’s Zoning Reform Proposal

The ‘Growing MKE’ plan calls for allowing ADUs, reducing barriers to new construction, and expanding the types of housing available in the city’s residential areas.

November 8, 2023 - Urban Milwaukee

View of Golden Gate Bridge from Presidio Golf Course with tall trees in foreground in San Francisco, California.

Urban Golf Courses: Publicly Subsidized, Privately Enjoyed

City golf courses, paid for by public dollars, are rarely used by the vast majority of residents. Some advocates want to see them opened to the public as parks or repurposed for housing.

November 7, 2023 - Business Insider

Mississippi River, Downtown Minneapolis

Sun Sets on Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan

After losing a court battle with environmental groups, the city must revert to the land use regulations in its 2030 plan.

November 7, 2023 - Bring Me the News

View of Congress Avenue with Texas state capitol dome among high-rise buildings in downtown Austin, Texas.

Austin Ends Parking Minimums

The city approved changes called for by a May resolution that eliminate parking requirements in all neighborhoods.

November 6, 2023 - KUT

Vacant mall with vast empty parking lot with cracked asphalt and Southwestern mountains in background.

From Department Store to Apartments

A former Sears store has a new life as a housing complex.

November 5, 2023 - Fast Company

Aerial view of Reno, Nevada with homes in foreground and downtown buildings in background during autumn.

Reno Revisits Zoning Reform

After roundly rejecting a proposal to legalize granny flats in 2018, the city council is revising it and other zoning reform proposals that could increase the city’s affordable housing supply.

November 3, 2023 - Fox Reno

Three two-story houses on residential street in Detroit, Michigan. Center house appears abandoned.

Detroit Launches Duplex Repair Program

The grants will help landlords repair aging multifamily affordable housing.

November 3, 2023 - City of Detroit

Blue sign with white Parking text and arrow pointing into garage

Parking Reform Pays Off With Lower Rent Costs

Research continues to show that adjusting parking requirements to align with demand can lower the cost of housing.

November 2, 2023 - Streetsblog USA

Mount Rainier

Opinion: Voters Deserve to See the Draft ‘One Seattle’ Plan

Despite a promise to release a draft comprehensive plan update in April and with elections in less than a week, Seattle residents are still waiting to see the city’s proposal for how to guide development in the next decades.

November 1, 2023 - The Stranger

White, yellow, gray boxy apartment building with construction fence surrounding bottom floor in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

State Trust Lands Offer Opportunity for Affordable Housing

Western states that hold millions of acres in land trusts are working to turn some of them into affordable housing.

October 31, 2023 - Stateline

Old cemetery with weathered wooden cross grave markers in Goldfield, Nevada with mountain in background and blue sky.

Contested Property: Haunted Houses and the Anxiety of Ownership in America

Sometimes home becomes a place of fear for the least supernatural reasons.

October 31, 2023 - Diana Ionescu

View of rainy Sixth Street with grey sky in Austin, Texas

Austin Text Alert System Caters to Unhoused Residents

A new emergency text message alert system will provide information specific to the needs of homeless people during extreme weather events.

October 31, 2023 - KXAN

White banner with red "SPACE AVAILABLE" text hanging at top of white office building.

Federal Agencies Update Rules to Support Office Conversions

New grant rules make it easier for local governments to acquire commercial properties for conversion to affordable housing.

October 30, 2023 - Route Fifty

Large blue metal dumpster container in front of wood-frame house under construction.

Bringing Circularity to the Construction Industry

Using more recycled materials could dramatically reduce carbon emissions and waste from construction projects.

October 29, 2023 - Bloomberg CityLab

Buckhead, Atlanta

Atlanta Approves Funding for 500 ‘Micro’ Housing Units

The city is promoting quick-build, low-cost solutions to stem the homelessness crisis.

October 27, 2023 - Urbanize Atlanta

View of San Francisco from top of hill with Victorian houses in foreground.

San Francisco Required to Change Restrictive Housing Approval Policies

State agencies want the city to speed up its alarmingly slow permitting process.

October 26, 2023 - KQED

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.

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New York City School Construction Authority

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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.