Tiny houses aren’t just for eco-warriors. They can also be a means for homeless and mentally ill individuals to reenter mainstream society.
Eve Andrews points to several tiny house communities that depart from the affluent-hipster stereotype. There’s Community First! Village, the combo RV/tiny-house development for homeless and low-income residents that will soon break ground near Austin, Texas. Quixote Village, in Olympia, Washington, targets people transitioning out of homelessness.
These success stories aside, municipal zoning and building codes stand in the way of a tiny-house revolution. Community First! Village, for instance, is located outside Austin proper because of building code restrictions. “[A]s tiny houses are viewed less and less as the hermetic retreats of antisocial weirdos, and more as a viable basis for sustainable, community-driven living, it would seem to behoove cities interested in greening themselves to sit up and start paying attention,” writes Andrews.
Read the full story: How tiny house communities can work for both the haves and the have-nots
Tiny House Movement Pushing the Boundaries of Traditional Zoning
Tiny Houses on trailers are available and buyers are ready to live small, but most zoning regulations don’t allow recreational vehicles as a permanent residence. Can zoning catch up to the tiny living trend?
Tiny Houses Shelter the Homeless in Wisconsin
Cheap construction materials, crowdfunding, and volunteer construction crews have produced villages of tiny homes as a place for the homeless to find shelter in every corner of the United States. What does it take for such homes to work?
Seattle mayor pledges to build 500 shelter units by June
The Seattle Times editorial board expresses cautious optimism about the mayor's ambitious supportive housing plan.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Chicago voters approve permanent festival grounds, penalty for vacant property owners
Currently, major summer and fall festivals take over public parks for weeks at a time, drawing criticism from nearby residents
NYC votes to cut outdoor dining red tape, speed up permitting
New York City also voted to allow the Department of Transportation to begin work on urgent projects before notifying elected officials.
California appears to reject Prop. 45
The proposition would have expanded the projects that qualify for a streamlined environmental review, effectively paring down the California Environmental Quality Act.
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
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority