Housing

Late evening view of downtown Minneapolis skyline with stone bridge in foreground

Minneapolis Affordable Housing Project Largest in 20 Years

The city opened its first large multifamily affordable housing complex in decades, but a recent court ruling against the Minneapolis 2040 rezoning plan could jeopardize future projects.

September 29, 2023 - Minnesota Public Radio

Close-up of vertical PARK sign on multistory urban parking garage.

NYC Mayor Proposes Eliminating Parking Minimums

Mayor Adams wants to stop requiring off-site parking for new buildings to reduce the costs of construction as part of the ‘City of Yes’ package of zoning reforms.

September 29, 2023 - StreetsBlog NYC

Roadside motel with turquoise room doors in Tucumcari, New Mexico.

Low-Barrier Motel Shelter Is a Success—But Not an Easy One

Many guests at Motels4Now are on their second or third stays—but staff say that's doesn't equal failure, and the numbers bear that out.

September 28, 2023 - Shelterforce Magazine

White two-story abandoned farmhouse in lush green field surrounded by trees in West Virginia.

West Virginia Tackles Vacancy With Tax Reform

The Center for Community Progress made recommendations for tax reform in West Virginia to address vacancy. Guided by CCP's suggestions, the state auditor’s office has passed two laws to change its tax sales process and keep properties in use.

September 28, 2023 - Shelterforce Magazine

Aerial view of white homes and buildings in Clarksburg, Maryland.

Opinion: After Rent Stabilization, More Action Needed to Make Housing Affordable

Montgomery County just passed a slew of regulatory and legislative changes aimed at improving affordable housing. One writer suggests several more.

September 28, 2023 - Greater Greater Washington

View of Austin, Texas skyline at dusk with Colorado River and bridge in foreground

‘Affordability Unlocked’ Boosts Austin’s Affordable Housing Production

A 2019 program has created new housing at a faster rate than other city programs.

September 26, 2023 - KUT

Aerial view of small New Hampshire town with brick buildings and fall foliage.

How Homelessness Differs in Rural America

Although less visible than in major cities, the housing crisis is no less severe in many rural communities, where being unhoused poses unique challenges.

September 26, 2023 - The Daily Yonder

High-rise modern apartment buildings with green space in front courtyard with outdoor exercise equipment.

Architecture and the Housing Crisis

A new book brings architects into the housing discussion.

September 25, 2023 - Next City

Aerial view of Koreatown neighborhood in Los Angeles with downtown skyline in background.

New Los Angeles Rent Relief Program Targets Pandemic Debt

The program prioritizes the lowest-income tenants who accrued debt during the early part of the pandemic.

September 25, 2023 - LAist

Roadside city limit sign for Santa Clara, California.

‘Agrihood:’ An Urban Farm With Affordable Housing

California’s largest urban farm also provides 165 units of affordable housing for seniors and veterans.

September 25, 2023 - ABC 7 News

Miami

Miami-Dade County Approves Community Land Trust

The unique housing model offers low-income households the opportunity to own homes.

September 25, 2023 - Axios

Aerial view of Boston Massachusetts historic homes

Boston Pilot Program Funds Electrification of Small Residential Properties

Owners of small buildings can get up to $50,000 per unit to fund decarbonization retrofits.

September 25, 2023 - Smart Cities Dive

View of San Francisco neighborhood from top of hill with misty bay in background.

San Francisco Supervisors Punt Housing Ordinance

After hours of public comment, the zoning reform package aimed at increasing housing production and limiting red tape was delayed for further discussion.

September 24, 2023 - SF Standard

Aerial view of residential buildings in Koreatown, Los Angeles with downtown skyline in background

How L.A. Failed to Stop Landlords From Turning Low-Cost Housing Into Tourist Hotels

Fifteen years ago, Los Angeles passed a law to preserve residential hotels as housing of last resort. Now, amid the homelessness crisis, Capital & Main and ProPublica found some hotels may be violating that law by offering rooms to tourists.

September 21, 2023 - Shelterforce Magazine

View of downtown Dallas, Texas skyline with skyscrapers against twilight sky.

Adaptive Reuse Successes in Dallas

The rise in office vacancies is fueling a boom in adaptive reuse projects.

September 21, 2023 - D Magazine

Close-up of top of California state capitol dome with U.S. and California flags flying and blue sky in background.

California Housing Bills Streamline Affordable Housing

A series of current and proposed bills are paving the way for more affordable housing production in the state, where environmental laws are often deployed to delay or block new development.

September 20, 2023 - CALmatters

Google Maps street view of historic red brick school building in CHicago, Illinois

Historic Chicago School Building to Become Affordable Housing

The adaptive reuse project will create 50 income-restricted housing units and community amenities.

September 19, 2023 - Block Club Chicago

View of Austin, Texas skyline with river in foreground

Austin Could Legalize Tiny Homes, RVs as ADUs

Expanding the types of homes eligible as accessory dwelling units could help more homeowners afford the construction costs.

September 18, 2023 - Austin Monitor

Looking up at Columbus, Ohio city hall building

Columbus Zoning Changes Aimed at Increasing Housing Supply, Affordability

The Columbus city council approved 17 zoning changes that could result in over 800 new housing units.

September 18, 2023 - The Columbus Dispatch

Aerial view of Whitefish, Montana with storm clouds in background

As Rural Areas Grow, So Do Tensions

The influx of new households to rural communities is driving up housing costs for existing residents and straining local infrastructure, sparking difficult conversations about future growth.

September 17, 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.