Housing

San Francisco Skyline

San Francisco Fourplex Proposal Could Skirt State Law

A proposal before the Board of Supervisors could undermine the state's density law by upzoning the city to allow duplexes, a step housing advocates call a disingenuous effort to prevent higher density.

March 14, 2022 - San Francisco Chronicle

Exurban Construction

Opinion: Spokane Needs 'Missing Middle Housing'

With demand for housing in Eastern Washington rising steeply, the region could benefit from zoning reform that encourages small and mid-sized multifamily developments.

March 14, 2022 - The Pacific Northwest Inlander

NIMBY Sign

What Is a NIMBY?

One of the most politically charged and controversial terms in planning, the acronym NIMBY stands for Not In My Back Yard.

March 14, 2022 - James Brasuell

Single-Family Neighborhood

Ultra-Competitive Housing Market Shows No Signs of Slowing

Home prices in the Puget Sound region continue to skyrocket as buyers engage in intense bidding wars and demand continues to outpace supply.

March 11, 2022 - MyNorthwest

This is a panoramic photograph taken on April 1st, 2021, of People's Park in Berkeley, California. During the COVID-19 pandemic the authorities eased restrictions on overnight camping by homeless persons on the grounds of People's Park. The photograph shows the presence of some of the tents set up during this period.

UC Berkeley Commits to Supportive Housing Project in People's Park

The university will work with the city and local nonprofits to provide 42 units of housing and supportive services to unhoused people living in Berkeley's iconic People's Park.

March 11, 2022 - Los Angeles Times

Rendering of Arverne East development

Net Zero Development Coming to New York City

The project, which relies largely on geothermal energy to minimize its carbon footprint, will bring affordable housing and boost storm resilience to an area devastated by Hurricane Sandy.

March 11, 2022 - Bloomberg CityLab

Wastewater California

Wastewater System Upgrade Plans Already Out of Date

Some Midwest cities' plans to upgrade decades-old sewer systems rely on outdated rainfall predictions as flood risks grow due to climate change and shifting weather patterns.

March 10, 2022 - Grist

Market Street

Zoomers Breathing New Life Into Cities

Young renters are flocking to big cities with lucrative job markets and ample social amenities, belying the 'urban exodus' myth.

March 10, 2022 - RentCafé

Interstate 635

Dallas Neighborhoods Fight Toxic Zoning

Communities in south and west Dallas are working to introduce zoning reform that would reduce industrial pollution and hold companies accountable for their impacts on surrounding neighborhoods.

March 10, 2022 - Bloomberg CityLab

 The remains of a mobile home park in Sylmar, California. 480 of the park's 600 mobile homes were burned in the Sayre Fire in November 2008.

Rental Housing at Risk From Environmental Hazards

From wildfires to hurricanes, environmental risks pose a threat to around 40 percent of U.S. rental units.

March 10, 2022 - Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University

A group of police officers wearing masks during the Covid-19 pandemic gather on a subway platform in New York City.

More Unhoused New Yorkers Died in 2021 Than in any Prior Year

New York City saw its deadliest year for people living in shelters or public spaces, with the pandemic and a rise in deadly overdoses fueling a fatal epidemic.

March 10, 2022 - City Limits

The San Francisco Bay Area is visible from San Carlos, across the bay to the East Bay. Mount Diablo looms in the background.

Formerly Redlined Neighborhoods Continue to Suffer Disparate Air Pollution

How did ZIP codes become such powerful determinants of public health? New new evidence of the disparate air pollution of redlined neighborhoods partly answers that question.

March 9, 2022 - Environmental Science and Technology Letters

The Prescott Passive House in Kansas City, Kansas

Passive Building Incentives Spur New Housing in Massachusetts

Two grant programs aimed at supporting highly efficient, affordable housing developments are yielding promising results.

March 9, 2022 - Energy News Network

A conceptual rendering of a high-rise apartment building in an urban area.

Vital Communities: Housing Quality for Social Equality

Transit-rich, “inner ring” neighborhoods with multi-family, mid- and high-rise housing (going beyond the limits of missing middle housing) will be necessary to deliver access to high-quality, safe, and affordable housing.

March 9, 2022 - Dan Kaplan

Rocky Mountains

How Zoning Reform Could Ease Montana's Housing Crunch

A new report recommends increased production of 'missing middle housing' in Montana, which, like other Western states, is experiencing rapid growth and an increasingly tight housing market.

March 8, 2022 - Daily Inter Lake

Williamsburg Brooklyn

NYC Rents Rising at Twice the National Rate

New York renters are being squeezed out as landlords raise rents by hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars.

March 8, 2022 - The New York Times

High-Rise Development

The Land Value Tax as a Solution for Housing Affordability

A Vox explainer digs into one of the esoteric ideas of planning theory: a land tax.

March 7, 2022 - Tax the Land

Riverside, California

More States Consider Tax Breaks for Low-Income Housing Developers

Legislators in five U.S. states this year will consider laws that create a state tax incentive program for low-income housing developers.

March 7, 2022 - Pew Stateline

Boise Idaho

Boise Looks to Upzoning To Ease Housing Pressures

The rapidly growing city is evaluating ways to increase housing production, reduce car dependency, and make Boise more walkable.

March 7, 2022 - Idaho Statesman

gaslamp Quarter

San Diego Housing Costs Cresting San Francisco Prices

The notoriously pricy Bay Area city has been dethroned as the country's most expensive metropolis.

March 7, 2022 - San Francisco Gate

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Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Comprehensive Bikeway Design Workshop

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Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)

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.