Affordable Housing

East Bay Area

Report Recommends Affordable Housing for Artists, 'Cultural Workers'

A report providing recommendations for Berkeley's Housing Element update recommends allocating affordable housing and exploring a guaranteed basic income program for creative workers.

February 20, 2022 - Berkeleyside

Downtown Reno

Nevada Earmarks $300 Million For Affordable Housing

The state's housing division has approved a $300 million bonding authority aimed at supporting more affordable housing construction.

February 18, 2022 - Nevada Appeal

 The Young Apartments — 1621 South Grand Avenue, at the southern end of Downtown Los Angeles.

L.A. Tenants Hit With Sudden Rent Hikes Under 'Discounted Rent' Loophole

A legal loophole has allowed some Los Angeles landlords to sharply raise rents on apartments that would otherwise fall under the city's rent stabilization ordinance and pandemic-related rent freeze.

February 18, 2022 - LAist

Earthquake damage

Protecting Affordable Housing After Natural Disasters

Research shows that low-income communities suffer most and take the longest to recover from disasters, which can often wipe out affordable housing stock and displace vulnerable households.

February 16, 2022 - The Conversation

Tampa Skyline

South Florida Renters Struggle To Find Affordable Housing

Tenants in Tampa Bay are finding it increasingly difficult to access stable housing as rents rise and affordable building stock dwindles.

February 16, 2022 - News4Jax

Hope VI Housing

Washington State Weighs Housing Benefit Districts

A proposed state bill would institutionalize a funding mechanism that could direct millions in new revenue to affordable housing development.

February 16, 2022 - The Urbanist

Singapore

Does Rental Assistance Demonstration Privatize Public Housing?

How exactly does RAD work and why is there a raging debate over whether it’s putting tenants’ rights and housing affordability in peril?

February 15, 2022 - Shelterforce

Arizona Suburb

Arizona Enters the Upzoning Fray

Arizona lawmakers have proposed a bill that would boost the state's affordable housing fund and increase density in some residential areas.

February 14, 2022 - azfamily.com

Boulder Colorado

Boulder's Eviction Prevention Program, One Year Later

A program created last year to assist tenants and prevent evictions has helped close to 400 households in its first year.

February 11, 2022 - City of Boulder

Eviction

Report Highlights Key Role of Cities in Stemming Evictions

The National League of Cities outlines strategies that city leaders can implement at the local level to prevent evictions and increase housing affordability.

February 11, 2022 - Smart Cities Dive

Downtown Honolulu as seen from the top of Diamond Head

Upzoning Bill Permits More Density in Honolulu

A bill that allows higher density in certain Honolulu neighborhoods could reduce the cost of development and create more affordable housing units.

February 9, 2022 - Hawaii Business Magazine

Gaslamp Quarter

California Court Upholds Density Bonus Law

In a rebuff to proponents of local control, a California state appeals court upheld a 1979 law that allows developers to bypass local zoning regulations when including affordable housing in their projects.

February 8, 2022 - San Francisco Chronicle

Boise Idaho

Boise Poised To Revise Zoning Code

The city of Boise is soliciting public input on its plan to revise its zoning code to permit a wider variety of housing options.

February 2, 2022 - City of Boise

An aerial image of Bend, Oregon, covered in snow in the winter. The Deschutes River cuts through the middle of town, below an old mill.

Upzoning Leads to Sharp Growth in Construction in Bend

After Oregon legalized 'missing middle housing' in cities statewide, Bend, the first city to comply with the state law, has experienced a significant boost in mid-density housing construction.

January 30, 2022 - KTVZ

Accessory Dwelling Unit rendering

A Tour of East Bay ADUs

Now that cities and states are recognizing the potential of middle-density zoning, builders and homeowners are getting creative with Accessory Dwelling Unit designs that minimize costs and maximize comfort.

January 30, 2022 - BuildinganADU.com

New Zealand

Zoning Reform: Lessons From New Zealand

The island nation is mandating mid-density zoning requirements and transit-oriented development in an effort to increase housing affordability and encourage compact development.

January 27, 2022 - The Brookings Institution

South San Jose houses

More Evidence Upzoning Alone Won't Boost Housing

Experts caution that to encourage significant new housing production, other zoning reforms that reduce costs and streamline permitting should accompany increased density requirements.

January 27, 2022 - Governing

Suburban Homes

Experts Express Pessimism Over Housing Costs

Although the current housing crisis has been compared with the housing crash of the late 2000s, experts caution that affordability issues could plague the U.S. housing market for years to come.

January 26, 2022 - The New York Times

Texas Apartment Construction

What the Microchip Shortage Reveals About Housing

The microchip shortage facing the automotive industry illustrates the significant impact that supply has on the cost of durable goods.

January 26, 2022 - Slowboring.com

The courtyard of a vecindad in Mexico City's Centro Histórico

Vecindades: Mexico City's Answer to 'Missing Middle Housing'

An iconic multifamily housing form repurposes the former homes of Mexico's elite into communal housing for urban workers.

January 25, 2022 - Bloomberg CityLab

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

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The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.