A dissenting argument claims that the efforts of "affluent urban pioneers" to increase supply in the most desirable urban areas will do more harm than good.
Pete Saunders provides a counterpoint to the "spreading meme that the dominance of single-family zoning districts in major cities is artificially reducing housing supply." (Recent articles, for example, have cited Portland, San Francisco, and Kansas City to make this case.) Saunders's argument uses the example of Chicago, as described in a recent post distinguishing between "Rust Belt Chicago" and "Global Chicago," to make a point about all American cities currently experiencing a housing crunch in their urban cores.
"I don't believe we should be talking about expanding the global core at its margins. We should be talking about expanding development throughout the city," says Saunders. That is, "[if] young urbanists are serious about moving back to the city, maybe they ought to consider more of the city to live in."
"This push for more affordable housing in affluent city neighborhoods, because we like it there, is akin to the push for more suburban housing at the urban outskirts 60 years ago."
"We must be really careful in what we ask for in the development of our cities. Simply requesting relaxed land use regulations so that more units will be built could result in serious unintended consequences….It would not reduce residential and economic segregation, it would increase it, and contribute to one of the most vexing problems of our cities today -- the exploding bifurcation of our cities by race, class and opportunity."
FULL STORY: The Millennial Housing Shortage Fallacy

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

USGS Water Science Centers Targeted for Closure
If their work is suspended, states could lose a valuable resource for monitoring, understanding, and managing water resources.

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.

Integrating Human Rights Into Energy and Extractive Sector Transitions
Why just transition efforts must move beyond economic considerations by embedding human rights principles into business practices to ensure equitable, transparent, and accountable outcomes for affected communities and workers.

Blocked, Restored, Blocked Again — Housing Funds in Legal Limbo
Since Trump took office, the administration has blocked multiple affordable housing funding streams. Here's a look at which funds have been frozen, which have been reinstated, and which are in the courts.

Mapping Groundwater Risks from Orphan Wells Across U.S. Aquifers
A new USGS study reveals that more than half of the nation’s documented orphan wells lie within aquifers supplying the vast majority of U.S. groundwater, posing widespread risks of contamination from aging, unplugged infrastructure.
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.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
Tyler Technologies
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions