Housing
Mesa General Plan Update Aims for Clarity, Accountability
The Arizona city’s once-a-decade update to its General Plan will clarify zoning boundaries left ‘fuzzy’ in its previous iteration.
Arlington to Open Housing Voucher Waiting List
Despite a high need in the area, it’s been more than a decade since the Virginia city last opened applications for housing vouchers.
Public Opinion on Housing: A Deeper Dive
Surveys on housing show that Americans give pro-housing or anti-housing answers depending on how questions are asked. More consistently, they show that Black Americans and young people are more pro-housing than older whites.
California to Invest $750 Million in 16 ’Jobs-Rich’ Areas
California is funding a sweeping package of investments expected to deliver big benefits in housing affordability and greenhouse gas emission reductions.
HUD Updates Fair Market Rate Definition
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced two actions last week intended to expand the reach of federal housing voucher programs.
Quantifying the Potential of California’s ‘Yes in God’s Backyard’ Bill
A new report estimates that 171,000 acres of land would be available for housing development if California approves SB 4, Affordable Housing on Faith and Higher Education Lands Act of 2023.
Post-Pandemic Home Building Trends: More Bedrooms, Smaller Homes
U.S. homes are adding bedrooms while getting smaller, according to two seemingly contradictory articles published on the same day from different data sources earlier this month.
Austin’s ‘Affordability Unlocked’ Initiative Faces Lawsuit
A group of 18 plaintiffs is suing to overturn the city of Austin’s “Affordability Unlocked” planning initiative.
Charlottesville Comprehensive Plan Update Attracts Opponents
An updated version of the Charlottesville comprehensive plan update is now available for public comment, and a recent article in the local paper lets plan opponents air their grievances.
ADUs, Minimum Lot Sizes, and Quadplexes Under Discussion in Traverse City
Zoning changes for everything from housing density to minimum lot sizes are under consideration for a city on the shores of Lake Michigan.
New Research Builds Evidence for Zoning Reform
Cityscape has published a collection of new research building support for zoning reforms as a tool for mitigating the effects of the housing affordability crisis.
Atlanta Advances Automobile Alternatives; Parking Minimums Persist
The Atlanta City Council passed a pair of ordinances recently to improve conditions for modes other than cars, but a proposal to remove parking requirements for development around the Atlanta Beltline are in limbo.
Meeting Housing Goals by Loosening Commercial Zoning
Torrance, a city on the coast of Southern California in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, recently adopted a zoning overlay that will relax commercial zones to allow more residential development.
Conversions Eliminated Over 100K Housing Units in New York City
Apartment-to-house conversions are contributing to a net loss of housing in some of the city’s historic neighborhoods.
Alexandria Set to Reveal Zoning Reform Details
The city will hold a series of public meetings this fall to explain its efforts to boost housing production and affordability.
Montreal Developers Prefer to Pay Rather Than Build Affordable Housing
Housing advocates say a 2021 bylaw aimed at building more affordable housing units is too lenient, letting developers opt out by paying a fee some consider too low.
How the Housing Crisis Impacts Family Life
More Americans are opting for multi-generational co-living, in large part due to rising housing costs.
HUD Approves L.A. Housing Voucher Changes
The city requested changes to federal housing voucher approvals to streamline the approval process for people experiencing homelessness.
Pandemic Relief Programs Prevented Homelessness Despite Housing Burden
A new study highlights the important role of emergency relief funding and eviction bans in stemming the rise of homelessness even as more families became housing-insecure.
Five Years of California’s Landmark Land Use Law, SB 35
It’s been five years since the California Legislature approved Senate Bill 35 to clear hurdles to housing construction. How much of its intentions has the law accomplished, and what should planners look for in the next few years?
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.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
