There are lots of arguments available for people that want to oppose new housing projects, but what are a few guiding principles for framing a supportive and constructive housing conversation?
Anna Fahey presents the work of FrameWorks Institute in creating a blueprint for better messaging regarding housing.
FrameWorks Institute created the messaging recommendations for non-profit affordable housing developer Enterprise Community Partners, identifying six ways housing messages can backfire, and identifying ten ways to constructively reframe the conversation.
The list of messages "built to backfire" is a collection of "default patterns of thinking that hinder understanding of and support for affordability solutions." These are the arguments like "not in my backyard" and "crisis and fatalism" that will be familiar to anyone who has ever heard an argument opposing new housing, plus a few more perhaps new ways of looking at the why and how of housing opposition forces.
The ten ideas for a more constructive housing conversation includes recommendations like positioning people in stories about places and systems, stressing the connections between where we live and how we live, and focusing on positive change while acknowledging a history of inequality.
The article also includes a link to download a flashcard for easy reference of these ten guiding principles for positive and constructive housing messaging.
Read the full story: A Blueprint for Better Housing Messages
The trouble with QUIMBY, revisited — a rebuttal to a rebuttal
In a perfect world, QUIMBY might get us a bit closer where we need to go. But, this YIMBY argues, not close enough.
Survey: 59% of LA Residents Want Dense Housing in Their own Neighborhoods
A UCLA survey reveals strong support for new apartments across the city, bucking the notion that Angelenos are NIMBYs.
How Disgust Shapes Perceptions of Density
A new study reveals a telling link between an individual’s disgust sensitivity and how they respond to urban density.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity
Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.
Move over, LA: St. Louis gears up for Olympics, invests millions in downtown redevelopment
The Missouri city will host the 2028 Olympic soccer group stage and knockout matches.
Mass. votes against statewide minimum lot size for single-family homes
Over 2 million residents voted on Question 7; it was decided by just over 30,000 votes.
Maryland’s $15 billion bridge project gains key approval
The Maryland Transit Authority said the project will create over 60,000 jobs and add $23 billion to the local economy.
‘No clear next steps’ for Chicago's permanent festival grounds
Eleventh Ward Ald. Nicole Lee has suggested Soldier Field as a possible location for the permanent event space.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello