As rents in the Bay Area have skyrocketed, cities are updating and introducing rent control ordinances. They are stoking age-old debates over the macroeconomic value of rent control.

"No fewer than eight Bay Area cities — from urban giants like Oakland and San Jose to small suburbs like Lafayette and Pacifica — have considered brand-new or significantly strengthened rent control policies in the past year. Debates over whether to adopt these policies and what form they should take have divided city councils, pit tenants against landlords, and raised perennial questions about the long-term value of an intervention that is considered extreme by many property rights advocates and counterproductive according to many economists."
By one estimate, the Bay Area added over 440,000 private sector jobs between 2010 and 2014 but fewer than 54,000 housing units. Meanwhile, evictions seem to be on the rise. In July, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that the number of monthly evictions in the City of San Francisco, which has rent control, had risen 32 percent over the previous three years' average."
Many ordinances and proposals also restrict evictions to only those that are for “just cause,” so that landlords cannot evict long-term tenants simply to raise the rent on new tenants. In some cases, rent control is governed by an elected rent control board. Cities have struggled, often with nearly violent disputes, to find the right mix of protections for tenants without raising the ire of property owners."
FULL STORY: Rent Control Gains Traction Amid Housing Crisis in Bay Area

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

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion
The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.

Since Zion's Shuttles Went Electric “The Smog is Gone”
Visitors to Zion National Park can enjoy the canyon via the nation’s first fully electric park shuttle system.

Trump Distributing DOT Safety Funds at 1/10 Rate of Biden
Funds for Safe Streets and other transportation safety and equity programs are being held up by administrative reviews and conflicts with the Trump administration’s priorities.

German Cities Subsidize Taxis for Women Amid Wave of Violence
Free or low-cost taxi rides can help women navigate cities more safely, but critics say the programs don't address the root causes of violence against women.
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.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie