Housing construction
Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Housing and Fire Safety in California
A proposed development near the site of the devastating Camp Fire highlights the growing tension between building badly needed housing and protecting communities from heightened wildfire risk.
Adaptive Reuse Booming in Pittsburgh
The city is seeing rapid growth in residential development in its downtown core, signaling a shift to accommodate a reduced need for office space and a renewed interest in mixed-use, transit-oriented neighborhoods.
Housing Construction Slowest at Both Ends of Wealth Spectrum
Communities with the slowest rates of new housing construction are either heavily undervalued, leading developers to avoid them, or extremely wealthy, giving residents leverage to employ zoning and land use to block development.
South Bend Offers Small Developers Pre-Approved Housing Templates
The city hopes the templates, along with other incentive programs, will spur more housing construction on its vacant lots while maintaining neighborhood character and streamlining the development process.
The Vanishing American ‘Starter Home’
Rising land costs, expensive materials, and onerous building and lot size requirements are making it harder to build small, affordable ‘starter homes’ in the United States.
The Uphill Battle to Build Housing in Austin
NIMBYism in one of the country’s fastest-growing cities contributes to a severe housing shortage and soaring housing costs.
Opinion: To Boost Economic Development, Build Housing
Rather than providing incentives to lure employers to their cities, local leaders should focus on supporting enough affordable workforce housing to accommodate new and existing residents.
Digital Tool ‘Gamifies’ Planning Decisions
Interactive platforms help stakeholders visualize and understand the challenges faced by planners in distributing new housing construction, building infrastructure, and other projects.
Seattle Works To Revise Comprehensive Plan
The city has developed five concepts for updating its comprehensive plan to increase density and reverse the legacy of exclusionary zoning.
Whose History Is Being Preserved, Exactly?
As the housing crisis continues, advocates are increasingly wary of historic preservation efforts that serve to perpetuate historic inequities and keep housing costs high.
San Diego Not Meeting State Housing Goals
Based on the number of permits issued for new construction in the last year, the city must triple its production to meet the targets set by the state in the latest round of the Regional Housing Needs Assessment.
How To Build More Affordable Housing in Idaho
Idaho cities can remove barriers to development, adjust zoning codes, and encourage the construction of accessory dwelling units and single-occupancy apartments to sustainably accommodate the state’s growing population.
To Meet Housing Goals, California Cities Turn to Mall Redevelopment
As brick-and-mortar stores decline due to the rise of e-commerce, cities look to mall sites as ideal locations for new housing.
California Density Law Didn’t Kill the Single-Family Neighborhood
After the passage of a contentious zoning reform law that encourages ‘light infill’ in single-family neighborhoods, few California households have submitted applications to build extra units, largely due to onerous restrictions imposed by local laws.
The Case for a ‘Zoning Czar’
Federal oversight of zoning reforms could coordinate efforts across agencies and shoulder some of the political backlash to local zoning changes.
Record Number of Homes Built in Chester County, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania’s Chester County, one of the state’s wealthiest, saw more homes built in 2021 than any year since 2001.
How Minimum Size Requirements Hamper Housing Production
Minimum square footage requirements are preventing many property owners from building on their lots, despite no evidence that they bring any safety benefits or maintain high property values.
Southern California City Raises Development Fees on Housing
In the midst of a historic housing crisis, the city of Santa Ana is raising fees on housing construction, which housing advocates fear will drive developers from the city.
Minneapolis Housing Plan a Success—Not for the Reason You Think
Housing advocates praise the city’s move to eliminate single-family zoning by legalizing triplexes on single-family lots, but that isn’t why housing construction is growing.
Developer Plans To Build Over 500 Housing Units on San Jose Parking Lot
A surface parking lot in San Jose could be redeveloped into a mixed-use development with housing, offices, and retail.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
