San Jose officials are having a hard time finding a neighborhood that will welcome an innovative approach to housing the local homeless population.
Ramona Giwargis reports: "Amid neighborhood backlash, city leaders have pared back one of San Jose’s most creative ideas for housing its thousands of homeless — erecting shed-like 'tiny homes' for them — from 99 potential sites [pdf] to just four [pdf]."
Since the city decided to move forward with tiny homes as a housing option for its homeless population in June, "finding sites for the tiny home villages — which could house up to 25 people — proved to be a major challenge." Giwargis explains more:
The city looked for publicly owned sites that were a half-acre in size, near transit and with access to utilities. But after an outpouring of complaints, San Jose officials added even more restrictions — 100 feet away from homes and creeks and 150 feet from schools and parks, leaving just a handful of potential sites.
The article includes soundbites from city officials expressing disappointment in the setback for the program.
FULL STORY: After backlash, San Jose reduces number of ‘tiny homes’ sites for homeless
Tiny Houses for the Homeless Planned for San Jose
The Bay Area's most populated city is taking a small step to house its homeless population.
Austin Selects Two Potential Sites for Sanctioned Encampments
The city plans to install temporary housing and facilities as part of its efforts to reduce homelessness and help people move into permanent housing.
Tiny Homes Village Planned in St. Louis
St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson hopes to use CARES Act funding to 50 new homes for homeless living in the city.
Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.
Opinion: Make Buses More Like Sidewalks
Sidewalks are an intuitive, low-cost, and easily accessible mobility tool. Can local buses function in the same way?
How Cities Can Support Climate Adaptation
In the face of federal cuts to climate resilience funding, a panel at ULI’s Resilience Summit offered suggestions for maintaining managed retreat and other climate adaptation programs.
Transportation Research Centers Lose Key Federal Funding
The federal University Transportation Center program funds critical transportation research and innovation at 35 consortia of colleges and universities.
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 Clovis
City of Moorpark
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