Mountain View is an expensive place to find housing, in part because of Google itself. The tech giant plans to do something about the housing crunch, for its employees at least.
"[Google] is finalizing an order to buy 300 apartment units from Factory OS, a modular-home startup, in a building likely to serve as short-term housing for Google (GOOGL) employees, according to executives from both companies." Laura Kusisto writes for The Wall Street Journal. Modular or prefab homes are built in factories, then shipped in pieces to be assembled on site. Rather than building a wall brick-by-brick on site with all the logistical work that entails, prefabricated homes aim to save by regularizing the process and completing construction in one place.
"As Silicon Valley battles its severe housing shortage, tech companies are becoming more active in trying to help solve the problem. Facebook Inc. (FB) has pledged to plan and design 1,500 units in Menlo Park, of which 15% will be classified as affordable housing," Kusisto reports. Amazon's new Seattle Headquarters will include a homeless shelter, but Apple's HQ is a notable exception to this trend.
FULL STORY: Google bets on modular homes to fill housing demand
Silicon Valley Cities' Complex Relationship with Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley isn't just an industry. It's also a place. Actually, a series of places. The dozen or so cities that make up the valley are increasingly wary of the corporate behemoths that are constantly expanding within their city limits.
Tech Giants Bank on Growth, Acquire More Space
To provide room for long-term expansion, companies like Google, Facebook, and LinkedIn are buying up even more Bay Area real estate. Their flush cash reserves have them nudging out the traditional development and investment crowd.
Google Seeks New Direction for Massive Housing Proposal
The company parted ways with its development partner, signaling a shift in strategy for a proposed 15,000-unit housing and office space project on Google-owned land in Silicon Valley.
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.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing
The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
LA Denies Basic Services to Unhoused Residents
The city has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for trash pickup at encampment sites, and eliminated a program that provided mobile showers and toilets.
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