Housing

Aerial view of large suburban homes on small lake in Mount Laurel, New Jersey.

New Jersey Affordable Housing Law Turns 50

The Mount Laurel Doctrine tasks each city and town with creating enough affordable housing to meet their needs, but half a century after its passage, the law still faces opposition in some parts of the state.

March 26, 2025 - Asbury Park Press

Downtown Los Angeles skyline viewed from the northwest on a sunny day with scattered clouds.

Shaping LA’s Future: Public Voting Opens for LA2050 Grants

The LA2050 Grants Challenge invites Angelenos to vote on the top issues facing Los Angeles, helping direct $3 million in funding to organizations working to build a more connected and resilient region.

March 25, 2025 - MyNewsLA.com

Bird's eye view of manufactured home park.

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing

Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

March 25, 2025 - Shelterforce

Aerial view of downtown Houston, Texas skyline with low-rise housing in foreground.

Preserving Houston’s ‘Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing’

Unsubsidized, low-cost rental housing is a significant source of affordable housing for Houston households, but the supply is declining as units fall into disrepair or are redeveloped into more expensive units.

March 21, 2025 - Urban Edge

High view of buildings in University City district in Phialdelphia, Pennsylvania.

Community-Led Efforts to Combat Gentrification in Philadelphia’s University City

How residents came together to fight for housing equity.

March 21, 2025 - Taiwo Adepetun

Line of tents set up against a fence on a public sidewalk in San Francisco, California with bikes and personal items around.

San Francisco Announces Plan to Overhaul Homelessness Strategy

Mayor Lurie’s three-phase plan promises 1,500 new shelter beds and a restructuring of outreach teams and supportive service programs.

March 20, 2025 - ABC7 News

Close-up on door handle with door key inserted and blurred furnished room visible beyond.

$5 Billion Rental Assistance Fund Set to Run Out of Cash

“No additional funding from HUD will be forthcoming,” HUD announces.

March 20, 2025 - News From the States

Parking lots and buildings in downtown Denver, Colorado.

Denver Could Eliminate Parking Requirements

The city could remove parking mandates citywide to reduce the cost of housing construction and ease permitting for new projects.

March 20, 2025 - Strong Towns

Red and yellow surfboards leaning against fence in Maui, Hawaii.

Surf’s Upcycling: Hawai‘i’s Latest Green Building Material is Recycled Surf Boards

“Surf Blocks” are fire-resistant, termite-proof, and close the loop on mountains of waste from the state’s beloved sport.

March 19, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Group of older people sitting at table indoors laughing.

Building Age-Friendly Homes

Designing for the unique needs of elderly people can help them maintain social connections and mental acuity.

March 19, 2025 - Happy Cities

Louisville, Kentucky skyline with river and bridge in foreground at dusk.

Louisville Launches ‘Anti-Displacement Tool’

After a years-long, tenant-led effort, Louisville will use a new tool to analyze whether a proposed housing development can meet a neighborhood’s housing needs and income levels. If it doesn’t, the city won’t subsidize it.

March 19, 2025 - Shelterforce Magazine

Light rail train passing under apartments in Pasadena, California

California Bill Aims to Boost TOD

A bill proposed by Sen. Scott Wiener would exempt transit agencies from zoning rules near ‘high-quality’ transit stops and allow denser transit-oriented development.

March 18, 2025 - Streetsblog California

Small white wooden church at edge of large concrete lot with rolling hills or golf course in background.

The YIGBY Movement: Unlocking Church-Owned Land for Affordable Housing

As the housing crisis deepens, interest in faith-based development is spreading across the country. How do YIGBY zoning laws work, where are they being implemented or introduced, and what could it mean for communities and churches?

March 18, 2025 - Shelterforce Magazine

Close-up on red and white "For Rent" sign on building.

What Makes Rent ‘Fair’

Should monthly charges be pegged to the cost of financing, developing, and operating housing, or to household income? Or are there other ways to design how rent is calculated?

March 18, 2025 - Shelterforce Magazine

Historic homes in St. Augustine, Florida.

Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs

Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.

March 18, 2025 - Newsweek

Aerial view of suburban housing near Las Vegas, Nevada.

HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands

The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.

March 17, 2025 - The Wall Street Journal

Columbus, Ohio skyline on a sunny day.

Low-Income Columbus Households Struggle to Find Housing

The Ohio city has a more severe affordable housing crisis than more traditionally expensive cities like New York and San Francisco.

March 17, 2025 - Columbus Dispatch

Tents set up by unhoused people under freeway overpass in San Jose, California with American flag above them.

San Jose Mayor Takes Dual Approach to Unsheltered Homeless Population

In a commentary published in The Mercury News, Mayor Matt Mahan describes a shelter and law enforcement approach to ending targeted homeless encampments within Northern California's largest city.

March 14, 2025 - The Mercury News

Washington state capitol dome in Olympia, Washington.

Washington State May Cap Rent Increases at 7 Percent

House Bill 1217 was passed by the House and will move next to the state Senate.

March 13, 2025 - Washington State Standard

Unhoused man holds up cardboard sign on street corner in Anchorage, Alaska with snowy mountains in background.

Alaska Considers “Homeless Bill of Rights”

The proposed bill builds on laws enacted by Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Illinois.

March 13, 2025 - Alaska Beacon

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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An annual review of books related to planning.

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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.