Peter Parker used to struggle to pay the rent, and many people can relate to the superhero's precarious housing situation over the years.
Nolan Gray writes about the housing struggles of Spider-Man's Peter Parker. "Repeatedly, Peter encounters the issue of housing affordability, a recurring challenge for him and Aunt May in the comics and a key issue in the Sam Rami films from 2002 to 2007."
Aunt May struggles with a mortgage she cannot pay and later is evicted. At various times in the Spider-Man video games and films, Parker is also either facing eviction or living in a single-room occupancy. "An ongoing tension between Parker and his affable immigrant landlord over late rent and poor maintenance extends through Spider-Man 3 (2007), an awkward relationship that should be familiar to most renters," says Gray.
More recently, Gray notes, Parker has gone from the everyman urban dweller to someone for whom money is not an issue. "Is a Peter Parker who doesn’t struggle with urban problems still Spider-Man?" he asks. While Gray believes the franchise will survive as it explores other interesting and timely themes, he still laments the fact that Peter Parker is not grappling with the same housing affordability issues that are challenging so many Americans.
FULL STORY: The Low-Key Housing Politics of Spider-Man
The Return of Rooming Houses
Popular in the early 20th century, the single-room occupancy rooming house fell out of favor, with the type now banned in many cities. With no end to the housing crisis in sight, cities are rethinking their regulation of this affordable housing optio
SROs Are Getting People Off the Streets in Portland
Single-room-occupancy hotels are providing much-needed affordable housing for the city’s most vulnerable residents.
How Philadelphia Prevented Mass Evictions
By requiring landlords to enter mediation before filing eviction cases, the city’s eviction diversion program has successfully kept thousands of people at risk for displacement in their homes.
The Slow Death of Ride Sharing
From the beginning, TNCs like Lyft and Uber touted shared rides as their key product. Now, Lyft is ending the practice.
Amtrak Calls for Expansion, Citing Close to 100 Requests for New Lines
The agency told a House committee it has received more than 90 applications for new intercity rail lines from cities around the country.
Cool Walkability Planning
Shadeways (covered sidewalks) and pedways (enclosed, climate controlled walkways) can provide comfortable walkability in hot climates. The Cool Walkshed Index can help plan these facilities.
Federal Infrastructure Dollars Funding Road Expansions
Far from kickstarting a transformative change in transportation policy, the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law continues to fund traditional road-building projects.
Downtown Omaha Planning for its Post-One-Way-Streets Era
The Omaha City Council has decided to reverse the transportation model adopted in the city in the 1950s, for the benefit of traffic safety and local retail activity.
Planning for Proximity, for the Climate’s Sake
A new global platform will help the world identify and encourage opportunities for more proximity in the built environment—development patterns that can help reduce sources of greenhouse gas emissions and other forms of pollution if built well.
Bossier City - Parish MPC
Wichita-Sedgwick County Metropolitan Area Planning Department
City of Bangor
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Montrose County
Wichita-Sedgwick County Metropolitan Area Planning Department
City of Lomita
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.
