Housing

Skyline of Norfolk, Virginia

Norfolk's 'Missing Middle Pattern Book' Aims to Streamline Permitting for Multi-Family Housing

Acknowledging the region's dire need for more diverse housing stock, city leaders hope the pre-approved designs, along with necessary zoning reforms, will encourage more construction of 'missing middle housing.'

August 5, 2021 - Greater Greater Washington

Homeless

Mapping Informal Neighborhoods

New mapping tools are helping cities around the world map and understand their poorest communities.

August 5, 2021 - Bloomberg CityLab

Single-Family Housing Development

This Washington City Quietly Eliminated Single-Family Zoning

Walla Walla's 2018 zoning reforms included adaptive reuse, reduced parking requirements, and more relaxed rules for accessory dwelling units.

August 5, 2021 - The Urbanist

Apartments for rent signage

Cincinnati Tenants Can Still Access Rental Assistance Funds

Organizations in the city are working to distribute remaining rental assistance to tenants and landlords.

August 4, 2021 - WLWT

Public Toilet

Opinion: Keep Public Toilets at L.A. Homeless Encampments

The city is planning to remove the hundreds of public toilets and hand-washing stations installed during the pandemic. But the need for them isn't going away.

August 3, 2021 - Los Angeles Times

Coronavirus Skies

The California Dream is Becoming Less Achievable

Anti-growth forces have made it close to impossible for many young people and newcomers to gain the upward mobility that has defined the state's success.

August 1, 2021 - The Atlantic

Basement Apartment

High Housing Costs Could Keep Inflation Rising

After last year's precipitous drops, rents are rising again in cities around the country, which could signal sustained inflation.

August 1, 2021 - New York Times

TransLink SkyTrain

Canada's Minister of Infrastructure Underscores Importance of Transit-Oriented Development

On the heels of a billion-dollar federal contribution to Vancouver's SkyTrain, the minister emphasized the need for policies that encourage affordable housing near transit.

July 30, 2021 - Daily Hive

Homeless Encampment

Austin Selects Two Potential Sites for Sanctioned Encampments

The city plans to install temporary housing and facilities as part of its efforts to reduce homelessness and help people move into permanent housing.

July 29, 2021 - Urbanize Austin

Place It Workshop

Community Land Trusts: Combining Scale and Community Control

Pitting the straw men of scale and community control against one another does the field more harm than good.

July 28, 2021 - Shelterforce

Empty Homes

Defining the 'Community' in Community Land Trusts

As community land trusts take root and expand, they face numerous questions on how to stay communally-focused while their geographic scope grows.

July 28, 2021 - Shelterforce

Multi-Family Housing

Millions of Tenants at Risk of Eviction, Billions in Rental Assistance Undelivered

What happens if the federal rental assistance money available to renters doesn’t make it to them before the moratorium expires? And how did the 2020 eviction predictions pan out?

July 28, 2021 - Shelterforce

Silicon Valley

Bay Area Workers are Moving Back

Many of the tech employees who left Silicon Valley during the pandemic are making their way back to the Bay Area–and so are higher rents.

July 27, 2021 - New York Times

Rich Suburban House

U.S. Cities With the Most Luxury Housing for Sale

From big cities to small towns, the share of homes with selling prices above $1 million is rising quickly.

July 27, 2021 - Point2

Eviction Crisis

New Fair Housing Rule Should Address Evictions

HUD's new fair housing rule crucially overlooks the role of evictions in perpetuating residential segregation.

July 27, 2021 - Bloomberg CityLab

1719 house in Salem, Massachusetts

Greater Boston Considers Relaxing ADU Rules as Housing Shortage Deepens

Cities in the region want to increase flexibility for homeowners who want to build 'granny flats' on their property.

July 27, 2021 - Boston Globe

Fire Escape

Mapping the Vast Differences Between Wages and Rental Costs

Comparing rental housing costs to wages reveals just how out of reach the housing market is for low-income earners.

July 26, 2021 - National Low Income Housing Coalition

San Diego Beach Housing

'Housing for All of Us' Initiative Unveiled in San Diego

The city of San Diego is hoping an expedited community plan process can help deliver more housing, and more affordable housing options, to meet the needs of its residents.

July 26, 2021 - KPBS

Eviction Crisis

Emergency Rental Relief Gaining Momentum in Some States

Rental assistance spending in June surpassed the entire year's total so far, but there's still a long way to go.

July 25, 2021 - The Washington Post

Portland Mobile Homes

Manufactured Home Residents Face Heightened Hurricane Risks

The unique construction and ownership structure of so-called 'mobile' homes put their residents at increased risk of property damage, financial loss, and death during extreme weather events.

July 25, 2021 - Atmos

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.

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.