Affordable Housing

Gentrification

Ending the Affordable Housing Supply Debate

There is hope that affordable housing advocates will agree that adding supply at any price point can help provide affordable housing as a result.

November 16, 2017 - City Observatory

Vacant Lot

Oakland to Turn Vacant Properties into Affordable Housing

Oakland pilot program to buy up vacant lots and properties, whose owners have defaulted on their property taxes, to transform them into low- and medium-income housing.

November 15, 2017 - CBS

San Francisco Sprawl

Investigation Reveals Abuses of Affordable Housing Program in San Francisco

Every bit of affordable housing helps in expensive San Francisco, but some residents in the city's "Below Market Rental" units are illegally renting those units for thousands of dollars a month.

November 13, 2017 - KPIX

Seattle SUper Bowl Parade 12th Man Flag

Mandatory Housing Affordability Details Released in Seattle

Seattle has released the long-awaited environmental impact statement for the Mandatory Housing Affordability program—a final step in the Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda process launched by former Mayor Ed Murray.

November 12, 2017 - Seattle Met

Freeway Construction

GOP Tax Plan Eliminates Critical Infrastructure-Funding Bond Program

The Tax Cut and Jobs Act would have a deleterious effect on major infrastructure proposed by the private sector. The loss of Private Activity Bonds would hike borrowing rates for road, transit, stadium, and even affordable housing projects.

November 9, 2017 - Greater Greater Washington

Capitol

House Tax Reform Bill Would Devastate Affordable Housing

The House tax reform bill threats to drastically reduce the number of affordable housing units developed.

November 8, 2017 - Curbed

San Diego Construction

San Diego Inclusionary Zoning Program Makes Headway

San Diego's Affordable Homes Bonus Program (AHBP), launched in mid-2016, increases incentives for projects that incorporate more affordable units. Developers are taking notice.

November 7, 2017 - Next City

Supreme Court

U.S. Supreme Court Won't Overturn California's Inclusionary Zoning Laws

The U.S. Supreme Court turned down a case with the potential to eradicate inclusionary zoning and in-lieu housing fees in the state of California.

November 3, 2017 - Los Angeles Times

Roosevelt Island

New York's First Citywide, Multi-Partner Community Land Trust

With support from the city and community development groups, Interboro Community Land Trust will focus on creating affordable homeownership opportunities.

October 30, 2017 - Next City

bergen County, New Jersey

Opinion: Even Wealthy Counties Can Make Space for Affordable Housing

Bergen County, New Jersey offers a case study in overcoming decades of illegal and exclusionary zoning practices.

October 28, 2017 - NorthJersey.com

Affordable Housing

Study Compares Nearly 900 Inclusionary Housing Programs

The largest survey of inclusionary housing to date contrasts the efficacy of policies across the United States.

October 25, 2017 - Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

Apartment Building

Minnesota Investing $346 Million in Affordable Housing

A $988 million bonding bill approved by Minnesota state legislators earlier this year is paying off in funding for affordable housing projects around the state.

October 22, 2017 - MPR News

San Francisco Density

San Francisco Mayor Calls for Quicker Approvals for New Housing

San Francisco Mayor, Ed Lee, released his directive saying the city should be approving the building or renovating of 5,000 units a year.

October 20, 2017 - San Francisco Business Journal

South L.A. Housing Project First to Use New 'Transit Oriented Community' Incentives

The city's new guidelines incentivize the development of affordable housing near transit.

October 17, 2017 - Urbanize LA

Washington D.C. Row Houses

'Housing Insights' Mapping Tool Designed to Preserve Subsidized Housing in D.C.

The Housing Insights team of volunteer civic hackers hopes you'll use their software in other cities, too.

October 14, 2017 - Greater Greater Washington

Atlanta

As Rents Increase, Atlanta Ponders a Future Like San Francisco's

Rents are spiking in the city of Atlanta—and the roster of big cities struggling to manage the costs of living grows.

October 10, 2017 - WABE

Construction

California's New 'By-Right' Housing Law: Will it Make a Difference?

A new law could enable affordable housing projects, if they meet the specified criteria, to bypass the public process that so often blocks their approval.

October 5, 2017 - Los Angeles Daily News

Cul-de-Sac

Two Simple Sentences Could Reshape Suburban America

A seemingly innocuous sentence embedded in almost every subdivision ordinance across the United States has disconnected neighborhoods and made cities unwalkable. Two sentences could change that.

October 3, 2017 - Modern Cities

Downtown Los Angeles

California's 15 Housing Bills Won't Do Enough

At a new affordable housing project in a low-income neighborhood of San Francisco, Gov. Brown signed the package Friday that places a $4 billion housing bond on the ballot next year, adds a $75 real estate transaction fee, and streamlines permitting.

October 2, 2017 - Los Angeles Times

110 Freeway

L.A.'s New Transit Oriented Communities Guidelines Are a Boost for Affordable Housing

The city of Los Angeles is taking substantive action to provide incentives for affordable housing development.

September 25, 2017 - Urbanize LA

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.

Professor of Urban Planning

Harvard University Graduate School of Design

Transportation Planner I

KFH Group Inc.

Director, Strategy and Research

Greater Baltimore Committee

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

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.