Square footage is dropping in new homes, leading many experts to argue that the new face of American homes will be smaller and more economically sustainable.
"New homes, after doubling in size since 1960, are shrinking. Last year, for the first time in at least 10 years, the average square footage of single-family homes under construction fell dramatically, from 2,629 in the second quarter to 2,343 in the fourth quarter, Census data show."
"'It's a return to common sense and what really matters,' says architect Marianne Cusato, who designed the Katrina Cottage, a modular kit house for people who were displaced by the 2005 hurricane."
"Cusato says the banking collapse last fall prompted her to co-design what she calls 'The New Economy Home.' In 1,500 square feet, it has three bathrooms, a half-bath and four bedrooms, one of which can be used as a rental unit."
"Kermit Baker, chief economist of the American Institute of Architects, says plummeting home values, however, have caused many people to stop seeing houses as an investment but rather as a place to live. He says home-size declines probably will continue among high-end buyers, who began scaling back even before the recession."
FULL STORY: Americans are moving on up to smaller, smarter homes

Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs
Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.

HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands
The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.

Has President Trump Met His Match?
Doug Ford, the no-nonsense premier of Canada's most populous province, Ontario, is taking on Trump where it hurts — making American energy more expensive.

OKC Approves 7.2 Miles of New Bike Lanes
The city council is implementing its BikeWalkOKC plan, which recommends new bike lanes on key east-west corridors.

Preserving Houston’s ‘Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing’
Unsubsidized, low-cost rental housing is a significant source of affordable housing for Houston households, but the supply is declining as units fall into disrepair or are redeveloped into more expensive units.

The Most Popular Tree on Google?
Meet Rodney: the Toronto tree getting rave reviews.
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.
Florida Atlantic University
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service