Fed up with all the extra space parked cars occupy, residents of Munich have turned to affordable housing built over already-existing parking lots. The wood-frame structures will be prefabricated and assembled quickly.
In today's renting climate, some city-dwellers might be willing to try new land-use arrangements for a cheaper place to live. Feargus O'Sullivan writes about such a development in Munich, Germany. "This month, the city announced a plan to build a 120-unit apartment complex atop a swimming pool parking lot. It's not just the location that's innovative. Instead of a standard steel frame, the new building's four floors will be built using wood."
While Munich rents aren't Europe's highest, affordability is a relative term. "Much of the force behind these plans to create more affordable housing comes directly from public pressure. A recent survey shows that Munich residents are more pessimistic about their ability to find affordable housing than people in any other European city, after Paris."
Residents of the new structure will have to do without parking of their own, but many don't drive anyway. "The lot below the building is designed to serve the swimming complex, not future tenants. In a city with excellent public transit like Munich, that's not a problem."
FULL STORY: Munich Is Building Affordable Housing Atop Parking Lots
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.
New Park Opens in the Santa Clarita Valley
The City of Santa Clarita just celebrated the grand opening of its 38th park, the 10.5-acre Skyline Ranch Park.
U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
How Urban Form Impacts Housing Affordability
The way we design cities affects housing costs differently than you might think.
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.