As communities across the country work to address massive housing shortage and affordability issues, a new guide from the American Planning Association and the National League of Cities can help decision-makers chart a clear path forward.

The American Planning Association, in partnership with the National League of Cities, recently released a free playbook for local elected officials and planners who are looking to boost the supply of housing in their communities. The 92-page “Housing Accelerator Playbook” outlines current, multi-pronged housing supply and affordability challenges faced by cities, towns, and villages across the United States — including construction, finance, land use regulations, and infrastructure — outlines a systems approach to address them, and provides a bevy of actionable strategies and real-life case studies to help communities chart their own paths forward.
In its own words, the playbook is “meant to serve as a starting point for engagement and alignment through public-private partnerships to produce attainable and locally driven plans of action that account for differences in local capacities and market conditions.” Within this resource, APA and NLC have compiled a wealth of expertise and thought leadership to offer a menu of effective strategies from which elected officials and local planners can choose according to their communities’ unique situations and needs. If you are a local housing policy decision-maker and haven’t already checked this resource out, it is definitely worth a gander.
FULL STORY: Housing Supply Accelerator Playbook Provides Solutions for Addressing Nation’s Housing Supply Crisis

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

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

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series
The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

Driving Equity and Clean Air: California Invests in Greener School Transportation
California has awarded $500 million to fund 1,000 zero-emission school buses and chargers for educational agencies as part of its effort to reduce pollution, improve student health, and accelerate the transition to clean transportation.

Congress Moves to End Reconnecting Communities and Related Grants
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee moved to rescind funding for the Neighborhood Equity and Access program, which funds highway removals, freeway caps, transit projects, pedestrian infrastructure, and more.

From Throughway to Public Space: Taking Back the American Street
How the Covid-19 pandemic taught us new ways to reclaim city streets from cars.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Ada County Highway District
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service