Affordable Housing

Pacific Coast

Housing Litigation by California Attorney General Yields Results

A landmark state lawsuit will be settled if the Huntington Beach City Council approves an amended specific plan that increases housing. The lawsuit was enabled by 2017 legislation strengthening California's 50-year-old housing element law.

January 27, 2020 - Los Angeles Daily News

Texas residential

Affordable Housing Challenges in Beltway Suburbs

More people are moving to suburban counties, but a lack of affordable housing in places such as Loudon County, Virginia, means the suburbs are not an option for a growing number of people.

January 22, 2020 - Greater Greater Washington

New York City

Affordable Housing Central to SoHo Rezoning Debate

There's no draft rezoning plan for SoHo yet, but there's plenty of controversy.

January 21, 2020 - Gothamist

Transamerica Pyramid

Linking Office Construction to Affordable Housing—S.F. Ballot Initiative Would Try

Proposition E, a ballot initiative up for vote in San Francisco in May, is one of the most radical planning positions in recent years, attempting to reduce housing costs by limiting housing demand.

January 15, 2020 - Mission Local

Tiny Houses

Tiny Houses—Not a Big Enough Solution

We shouldn’t have to scale down the idea of basic economic security to fit inside the dimensions of a tiny house. But that’s precisely what we’re doing.

January 15, 2020 - Shelterforce Magazine

Arlington Virginia

The Far-Reaching Effects of the Housing Crisis

When housing costs are high, lower-income residents are not the only ones who end up struggling.

January 14, 2020 - WAMU

Ohio River

In Louisville, Differing Views on Mixed-Use Development

Although a development near downtown Louisville, Kentucky, is moving forward, not everyone agrees it is the best use of the parcel and the right project for the city.

January 14, 2020 - The New York Times

Multi-Family Building

California Voters Could Repeal Amendment Long Hampering Public Housing

A state constitutional amendment from the 1950s has been used to hold back public housing, but voters could have a chance to strike it down later this year.

January 9, 2020 - The Mercury News

Seattle

To Clear Obstacles to Housing Affordability, Environmental Law Reformed in Washington

State and local lawmakers hope that recent reforms to the Washington State Environmental Policy Act are only an initial step toward ending the law's use as a tool for delaying affordable housing plans.

January 8, 2020 - Crosscut

Homes

How Housing Fared in 2019

Next City's Jared Brey reviews a year of developments in housing politics and policy, teasing out several big trends.

January 8, 2020 - Next City

City Apartments

Philadelphia Mayor Vetoes Several Development-Related Bills

Among a package of bills that died in the pocket of Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney at the beginning of the New Yer was a bill intended to ensure that developers contribute to communities.

January 7, 2020 - PlanPhilly

Paris Aerial

What California Can Learn from France About Tackling a Housing Crisis

As California continues to grapple with staggering housing issues, France's experience offers lessons about the kinds of housing policies and strategies that work.

January 6, 2020 - San Francisco Chronicle

Seattle

Lowering the Barrier to Make Public Land Available for Affordable Housing

Municipalities can help fill in a crucial piece of the affordable housing puzzle by making public land accessible for development.

December 30, 2019 - Housing Matters

Arizona Suburb

The Flip Side of Single-Family Housing

Much of the debate about housing shortages and rising housing costs focuses on single-family housing as the main culprit. But could it also be part of the solution?

December 30, 2019 - Curbed

Arizona Sprawl

Phoenix, No Longer an Affordable Housing Haven

Fast-rising rents in Phoenix mean housing costs are out of reach for more residents, and the city is no longer considered a place where affordable housing is easy to find.

December 29, 2019 - The Mercury News

Victorian Townhomes

Cost to Repair Philadelphia Homes Is $2.7 Billion, Study Finds

Many homes in Philadelphia are in need of repairs, and low-income renters are most affected by substandard housing.

December 28, 2019 - WHYY

Columbia University Athletics

Judge Tosses Manhattan Rezoning; Developer Tosses Affordable Housing Project

A court decision to toss a signature rezoning plan of the de Blasio administration in New York City had immediate repercussions for a development proposal that would have added hundreds of new affordable housing units.

December 24, 2019 - Crain's New York Business

Los Angeles

Affordable Housing Required for Development on L.A. City Properties

The Los Angeles City Council has approved a rule that residential buildings on city property will have to be 100 percent affordable.

December 19, 2019 - Curbed Los Angeles

Ontario, Canada

Plan for 40,000 New Affordable Homes Approved in Toronto

An ambitious plan to build 40,000 new affordable housing units in the next ten years will require the support of local politicians as well as elected officials at the provincial and federal levels.

December 19, 2019 - The Star

Downtown Oakland

S.F. Bay Area Cooperative Offers New Affordable Housing Model

A California cooperative brings together investors to make homeownership more accessible and finance housing projects that help to slow gentrification.

December 18, 2019 - Next City

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.

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Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

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