Housing

Manhattan brick apartments with AC units on windows.

NYC Lawmaker Proposes Mandatory Cooling Law

Despite hundreds of heat-related deaths every year, the city has no regulations on cooling in residential units.

August 5, 2024 - Word In Black

Wood-framed houses under construction with brick-covered completed homes in background.

Project 2025 and Housing Policy

The Heritage Foundation has issued Project 2025, a list of policy proposals for the next Republican administration. On housing, it seems to embody a range of perspectives.

August 4, 2024 - Michael Lewyn

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

San Francisco Bans Rent Fixing Software

The Board of Supervisors unanimously supported a bill that bars landlords from using software that critics say facilitates collusion between landlords.

August 2, 2024 - San Francisco Examiner

Text that reads July's Must Reads: Planetizen's Top 10 Articles from Last Month with a photo of an Amtrak train traveling through the Utah desert.

July’s Must Reads: Top 10 Articles from Last Month

In case you missed them, here were the biggest urban planning news items, features, and blogs from last month, including 15 new Amtrak routes, Florida’s EV law, California’s rail update, fare-free buses in Tucson, and more.

August 1, 2024 - Mary Hammon

Brick New York City apartment building exterior with fire escape stairs and AC window units.

Beating Extreme Heat Through Community Efforts

U.S. cities don't provide residents with enough protection against heat, the deadliest weather-related killer in the world. In New York City, one organization came together to distribute ACs to neighbors in need.

August 1, 2024 - Shelterforce Magazine

A Place to Recover from Illness: How Medical Respite Programs Help Unhoused People Heal

For people experiencing homelessness, recuperating after a hospitalization is difficult. Medical respite programs can help. Why aren't they more common?

August 1, 2024 - Shelterforce Magazine

Wood-frame homes under construction.

The Challenges of Building Middle-Income Housing

An affordable housing developer explains the hurdles to building more housing for middle-income households.

July 31, 2024 - Greater Greater Washington

Aerial view of San Fernando, California.

ADU Construction Flourishing in Los Angeles County

The boom is happening in some unexpected areas.

July 30, 2024 - Los Angeles Times

Milwaukee, Wisconsin skyline with houses in foreground.

‘Growing MKE’ Zoning Reform Plan Would Expand Milwaukee Housing Options

Proponents of the plan say the changes would help reverse decades of discriminatory housing policies.

July 30, 2024 - Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

Kissimmee, Florida "Founded 1883" crest painted on cracked wall.

Kissimmee Considering Garage Conversion Program

Homeowners could get city support for converting garages to residential units.

July 30, 2024 - WESH 2 News

Aerial view of Castle Rock, Colorado at dusk in winter with Christmas lights.

Colorado Church Fights for Right to Provide Housing

A church in Castle Rock, Colorado is suing the city, pointing out the lack of shelter options for unhoused residents in the area.

July 29, 2024 - New Castle News

Aerial view of Kona, Hawaii.

Big Island Airbnb Operators Call for Economic Impact Study

As the Hawai’i County Council debates new regulations governing short-term rentals, it is requesting a study on how the industry impacts local residents and businesses.

July 29, 2024 - Big Island Now

Neon signs on nightlife strip in Nashville, Tennessee.

Nashville Zoning Reform Opens Commercial, Retail Zones to Housing

An ordinance expanding ‘adaptive residential development’ could lead to thousands of new housing units.

July 29, 2024 - WKRN

Aerial view of downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin with Quadracci Pavilion on waterfront in foreground.

Milwaukee Could Impose Owner Occupancy Rules on Short-Term Rentals

The city could tighten regulations on short-term rentals, many of which remain unregistered despite rules requiring permits.

July 26, 2024 - Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

Red brick train station in Chiyoda City, Tokyo, Japan.

Expanding the Concept of Transit-Oriented Development: Lessons from Abroad

Keeping transit planning and development siloed can limit opportunities to build affordable housing and vibrant neighborhoods.

July 25, 2024 - Next City

Homeless encampments on the Venice Beach Ocean Front Walk.

Study: ‘Sweeps’ Don’t Impact Homelessness

A study of three Los Angeles neighborhoods revealed that ‘cleanups’ of encampments don’t result in fewer people on the streets.

July 25, 2024 - Governing

View of Ithaca Commons sign over pedestrian street in downtown Ithaca, New York.

In Upstate New York, the Fight for ‘Good Cause’ Continues

This week, Ithaca became the latest city to opt into New York’s new Good Cause Eviction Law. What are tenant organizers doing to make the law work better for their communities?

July 24, 2024 - Shelterforce Magazine

Dense neighborhood of homes on a hillside on the water in San Diego, California.

San Diego’s Short-Term Rental Ordinance, One Year in

Since enacting a spate of regulations on short-term rentals, the city has removed over 7,000 illegal listings from online platforms.

July 23, 2024 - The San Diego Union-Tribune

Digital drawing of orange Combi microbus popular in Lima, Peru.

Urban Planning in Lima, Peru

For some people, ‘urban planning’ and ‘Lima’ do not go together. In fact, the Peruvian capital effectively highlights various facets of the urban planning world.

July 23, 2024 - Marcelo Remond

A stone statue of a shirtless muscular man wrestling with a powerfully built horse, his hands on the horse's neck, pulling downward.

Senate Bill Proposes Federal Antitrust Review for Institutional Housing Investors

The bill would require private equity and other corporate investors to report housing purchases to the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice for antitrust review aimed at stopping anticompetitive transactions that would increase housing costs and push homeowners out of the market.

July 22, 2024 - KTVZ

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.

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.