Housing

Base Camp Village

Insurance Rates Rise Sharply for Affordable Housing

Increases of up to 104 percent in insurance rates are squeezing nonprofit affordable housing developers as rates rise around the country.

December 18, 2023 - Marketplace

View from across the street of Rosa Parks Transit Station in Jacksonville, Florida.

Mixed-Use TOD Planned in Jacksonville

The project will include affordable housing and retail space near the Rosa Parks transit station.

December 17, 2023 - Jax Today

Vacant commerical parking lot in front of shuttered strip mall.

Opinion: Strip Malls Are a Huge Untapped Source for Housing

Redeveloping just the best-suited 10 percent of America’s strip malls could result in 700,000 new affordable homes nationwide.

December 17, 2023 - Next City

Large solar panel field in the Mojave Desert with desert mountains in background.

AI-Powered Permitting is Speeding up Solar Deployments in California

AI-powered permitting is accelerating solar deployments in cities across California, automating compliance checks and approvals for efficient and rapid solar project installations.

December 15, 2023 - Canary Media

Aerial view of the cover park over I-70 and surrounding neighborhood with downtown Denver in background.

Opening of Denver’s New Freeway Cap Park Triggers Gentrification Fears

Local residents fear rising housing costs and displacement with the opening of a new four-acre park built on a deck bridge over the newly reconstructed and widened I-70 interstate.

December 15, 2023 - High Country News

View from above of wood-frame multifamily housing under construction next to green trees.

Federal Bank Awards $28M in Affordable Housing Funds

The bank’s annual subsidy funds new housing and upgrades to existing affordable housing stock.

December 15, 2023 - Financial Regulation News

Green lawn in city park full of people sitting on lawn chairs with urban high-rises in background.

All We Want for the Holidays is…

Here are a dozen timely gift ideas for creating better communities.

December 15, 2023 - Todd Litman

Close-up of hand scrolling through text website on tablet lying on table.

Planetizen’s Top Posts of 2023

The most-read articles on Planetizen in 2023.

December 14, 2023 - Diana Ionescu

Above-ground downtown Plano train stop in front of red brick multifamily housing building.

New Guidance to Repurpose Transit Properties for Affordable Housing

No-cost land transfers of underused transportation assets to develop transit-oriented affordable housing could be a game changer for local governments.

December 14, 2023 - Urban Institute

Texas Capitol Building

Texas Judge Reverses Three Austin Zoning Reforms

The ruling impacts ordinances passed in 2022 aimed at increasing housing density and supporting mixed-use development.

December 14, 2023 - Austin Monitor

View of Washington D.C. Capitol dome through high-rise buildings in various states of construction.

DC ‘Vacant to Vibrant’ Properties Remain Vacant

The city auctioned off 58 lots at low prices to stimulate housing development. Half are still vacant.

December 14, 2023 - The Washington Post

Millbrae, California

Article 34 in Action: Bay Area Suburb Uses 1950 Initiative to Block Homeless Housing

Next year, California voters will determine whether to repeal a 1950 initiative that requires local voter buy-in for government-supported low income housing, but that hasn't deterred Millbrae from using it to sue San Mateo County.

December 13, 2023 - The Mercury News

View of residential neighborhood with large homes with tall mountains and cloudy sunset sky in background in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Will Salt Lake City’s Zoning Reforms Create More Affordable Housing?

The city’s new rules allow for more flexibility in housing development, but other market forces could limit production.

December 13, 2023 - KUER

Neighborhood of large houses in suburban Austin, Texas.

Austin Approves Upzoning

Combined with the recent decision to eliminate parking minimums, the move to end single-family zoning could help make housing more affordable.

December 13, 2023 - The Austin Chronicle

Aerial view of mobile home community in rural area with homes lined up diagonally next to small road.

Report Highlights Housing Issues in Rural America

Rising costs and an aging housing stock are squeezing rural households, with the impacts felt unevenly across ages and ethnicities.

December 13, 2023 - The Daily Yonder

View of Tucson, Arizona at sunset with two saguaro cacti in foreground.

Zoning Driving Housing Costs, Water Consumption in Arizona

Regulations that prohibit multifamily housing and smaller lot sizes contribute to a growing gulf between housing supply and demand.

December 12, 2023 - Pew

Kansas City, Missouri skyline.

Kansas City Could Ban Source-of-Income Discrimination

The proposed law would eliminate a significant hurdle for many recipients of federal housing vouchers.

December 12, 2023 - Smart Cities Dive

Flags on tall flagpoles with RTP logo and North Carolina flag at Research Triangle Park.

North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park Could Upzone for Mixed-Use, Housing

A new proposal reimagines the primarily industrial and office-oriented area to a ‘15-minute city.’

December 12, 2023 - The News & Observer

Close-up of title of death certificate for state of California.

Understanding Mortality Risks Among Unhoused People

How tracking housing status at time of death can help policymakers identify when people are most vulnerable.

December 11, 2023 - Maine Morning Star

View from back of elderly man and woman holding hands and walking on a path in a park with fall colors.

Report: Housing Costs a Growing Concern for Older Adults

A growing number of older Americans are finding it difficult to downsize to smaller, more accessible, and more affordable homes while staying in their communities.

December 11, 2023 - Bloomberg CityLab

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.

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.