The National Building Museum draws attention to the drastic change that has come to the American household. No longer does the nuclear family dominate the housing market, and a new era of housing development must be launched.

The National Building Museum today opens its new "Making Room: Housing for a Changing America" exhibition, which will run until September 2018.
The website announcing and promoting the exhibition notes the changing complexion of households in the United States. In 1950, nuclear families represented 43 percent of the nation's households, in 1970 it was 40 percent, and now it's 20 percent.
"A groundswell of action by housing entrepreneurs, however, is beginning to expand our options—making room for new models and design solutions," according to the NBM website. "Looking beyond typical choices and layouts, they are offering alternatives at all levels of the market, from micro-units, tiny houses, and accessory apartments to cohousing, co-living, and beyond."
The centerpiece of the "Making Room" exhibition is the Open House: a home designed for the exhibition by architect Pierluigi Colombo. "The Open House features a hyper-efficient layout, movable walls, and multifunctional furniture, allowing the space to meet the needs of a variety of today’s growing but underserved households," according to the website.
FULL STORY: Making Room: Housing for a Changing America

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

King County Supportive Housing Program Offers Hope for Unhoused Residents
The county is taking a ‘Housing First’ approach that prioritizes getting people into housing, then offering wraparound supportive services.

Researchers Use AI to Get Clearer Picture of US Housing
Analysts are using artificial intelligence to supercharge their research by allowing them to comb through data faster. Though these AI tools can be error prone, they save time and housing researchers are optimistic about the future.

Making Shared Micromobility More Inclusive
Cities and shared mobility system operators can do more to include people with disabilities in planning and operations, per a new report.
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.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie