President George W. Bush is expected to announce his nomination of Steve Preston, head of the Small Business Association, as the new chief of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
"The announcement, expected on Friday, comes as the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which oversees the nation's sprawling public housing stock, is struggling to help stanch the flood of foreclosures across the country."
"The Bush administration is counting on the Federal Housing Administration, the branch of HUD that insures mortgages, to protect hundreds of thousands of troubled homeowners from the risk of foreclosure by helping them refinance shaky subprime loans, making them stable government-backed mortgages."
"Officials said that Mr. Preston would be well positioned to handle the housing crisis, given his experience in government and in the private sector. Mr. Bush is expected to announce his nomination this afternoon in the Roosevelt Room of the White House."
"'He has a strong financial background and understands the important role the housing market plays in our economy,' said the senior administration, who discussed Mr. Preston's nomination on condition of anonymity."
"Before being named S.B.A. administrator in 2006, Mr. Preston served as executive vice president of the ServiceMaster Company, a multibillion-dollar corporation whose businesses include TruGreen ChemLawn, a lawn care company, and Terminix, a pest control company."
FULL STORY: Bush Announces HUD Pick
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
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.