Affordable Housing

Los Angeles County Sprawl

Inclusionary Zoning Adopted in L.A. County

The county of Los Angeles is looking for policy tools that will add affordable housing units to the housing market. Inclusionary zoning is its policy of choice.

August 10, 2020 - Urbanize.LA

Meter Maid

Neighborhood Group Kills Affordable Housing Proposal on Parking Concerns in Denver

An affordable housing project requested a waiver of parking requirements to build 36 deeply affordable housing units in Denver. A local neighborhood organization's opposition to the waiver won the day.

August 5, 2020 - Denverite

Tassafaronga Village Oakland California

Affordable Housing Production Grinds to a Halt During Pandemic

Just when the nation needs a functional market for affordable housing, the industry that builds affordable housing supply has stopped functioning, like to many other parts of the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

August 5, 2020 - Bloomberg CityLab

Public Comment

Review: Neighborhood Defenders

A new book explains why people object to new housing in their neighborhoods, and whether these "neighborhood defenders" are representative of the public as a whole.

August 3, 2020 - Michael Lewyn

Connecticut

Pro-Development Coalition Forms in Connecticut

DesegregateCT is a growing coalition of groups coalescing behind ideas like Missing Middle Housing and zoning reform as a means to improved housing affordability.

July 20, 2020 - Hartford Courant

Skid Row Los Angeles

Lack of Federal and State Subsidies Slow Homeless Housing Development in L.A.

Developments funded by Los Angeles' Proposition HHH homeless housing bond has been delayed for three key reasons.

July 10, 2020 - Los Angeles Times

Seattle Sailboats

Capital Gains Tax Under Consideration in Seattle

A proposed capital gains tax would invest $37 million per year in solving affordable housing and homelessness crises in Seattle.

June 28, 2020 - The Urbanist

Seattle Victorian

Limited Housing Supply Correlated with Higher Rates of Gentrification

For insights into the gentrification of U.S. urban areas, researchers studied high-income buyers of housing in lower-income neighborhoods. To slow gentrification, the housing supply must be boosted, say the researchers.

June 28, 2020 - Urban Institute

San Francisco

More Housing Could Increase Affordability If You Build It in the Right Places

Focusing on zoning in hot-market urban centers misses economic realities—and major opportunities.

June 25, 2020 - Shelterforce Magazine

Housing Construction

How to Treat Housing as a Human Right

SPUR's housing report, "What Will it Really Take to Create an Affordable Bay Area," found that it will take 2.2 million units in the next 50 years to avoid worsening housing inequality.

June 24, 2020 - SPUR

Housing protest

The Case for Letting Developers Pay Not to Build

Inclusionary zoning requires new developments to include affordable units, but many cities allow developers to bypass this by paying an off-site fee. Is the fee-out option getting unfairly demonized?

June 19, 2020 - Shelterforce Magazine

Coronavirus

Renters Living in Small Buildings Face the Steepest Economic Risks in the Pandemic

Renters in smaller multi-family buildings and single-family homes are faced with larger economic challenges during the pandemic, according to new analysis by researchers at the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University.

May 28, 2020 - Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University

Chicago Public Housing

Housing Relief Targets Multi-Family Property Owners in Chicago

The Emergency Relief for Affordable Multifamily Properties Program is designed to keep multi-family property owners from entering default.

May 27, 2020 - Next City

Public Housing

1,000-Plus Mixed-Income Units Planned in Miami

A planned development made possible by a ground lease with the county could add over a thousands mixed income units to the housing market in Miami.

May 20, 2020 - Miami Herald

Street Traffic in Manhattan

Urban Planning in a Post-Pandemic World

The coronavirus crisis is highlighting the contributions of cities as well as their vulnerabilities and the planning issues that need to be priorities in the future.

May 11, 2020 - The City Fix

San Francisco, California

1,100 New Homes Planned in the Middle of San Francisco

The prospect of a large mixed-use development on a 17-acre parking lot in the center of San Francisco took a substantial step forward this week.

April 30, 2020 - San Francisco Chronicle

Hidden New York City

Massive Affordable Housing Effort in New York Faces Coronavirus Reckoning

A controversial but sweeping housing initiative in New York City, one of Mayor Bill de Blasio's signature initiatives, had a full head of steam before the coronavirus. Now it's facing drastic cuts.

April 29, 2020 - Politico

2020 Campaign

What Could a Joe Biden Presidency Accomplish on Affordable Housing?

Democratic presidential candidates made the housing crisis part of their platforms. What might a President Biden do to ease the shortage?

April 27, 2020 - Shelterforce Magazine

Affordable Housing

$1 Million for an Affordable Apartment in California—Coronavirus Could Make it Worse

The pre-existing condition of the California housing market will make it very difficult to meet the demands of the state's residents as unemployment spikes in the state.

April 20, 2020 - Los Angeles Times

New York Housing

Expanding Housing Choice Vouchers Would Strengthen the Safety Net

An expanded housing voucher program is needed to address the medium- and long-term economic consequences of COVID-19.

April 16, 2020 - Shelterforce Magazine

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.

Community Development Director

City of Wisconsin Rapids

Professor of Urban Planning

Harvard University Graduate School of Design

Transportation Planner I

KFH Group Inc.

Top Books

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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.