"Bigger is better" has been the mantra of the real estate world and housing market for many decades. Maybe it's wrong.
Architect and best-selling author Sarah Susanka published her first book, "The Not So Big House," in 1998, shining a light on the uncomfortable mismatch between Americans and their houses. Recently Susanka talked about that mismatch in an interview with The Town Paper and shared her ideas for a better fit that are spreading like wildfire through the American housing market.In the fable, "The Emperor's New Clothes," the open mind and clear vision of a little boy enabled him to say something none of the other royal subjects had been able to articulate. The pompous emperor and his new clothes were not the "match" everyone was saying they were."The emperor is naked," said the boy.In the same way as the emperor and his "new" clothing were not suited to each other, many Americans are living in homes that are unsuited to the lives of their inhabitants. As clearly as the boy in the fable, in a way that people who do not practice architecture can embrace, Sarah Susanka has pointed this out.We have been round pegs living in square holes.
Thanks to The Town Paper
FULL STORY: A Richer Life in "Not-So-Big" Homes

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.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Half of Post-Fire Altadena Home Sales Were to Corporations
Large investors are quietly buying up dozens of properties in Altadena, California, where a devastating wildfire destroyed more than 6,000 homes in January.

Opinion: What San Francisco’s Proposed ‘Family Zoning’ Could Really Mean
Mayor Lurie is using ‘family zoning’ to encourage denser development and upzoning — but could the concept actually foster community and more human-scale public spaces?

Jacksonville Launches First Autonomous Transit Shuttle in US
A fleet of 14 fully autonomous vehicles will serve a 3.5-mile downtown Jacksonville route with 12 stops.
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.
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont