Housing

Friday Funny: A YIMBY Smackdown

This is a strange one.

March 16, 2018 - YouTube

Australia Hotel

Australia's Housing Market Rebuts Supply Side Housing Policies

Australia's housing market has built steadily at market rates but housing affordability has remained steady. What if building waves of new supply isn't enough to improve affordable housing options for those in need?

March 16, 2018 - The Conversation

Portland

Property Tax Exemption for Affordable Units Under Consideration in Portland

The proposed property tax exemption in Portland would be from the "carrot" school of affordable housing incentives.

March 15, 2018 - The Oregonian

California's First Use of 2017 'By-Right' Housing Law

A Berkeley parking lot is the site of the state's first implementation of a controversial landmark law that allows eligible developments with affordable housing to bypass the normal channels for approval if they conform to local zoning laws.

March 14, 2018 - KPIX

Wood Construction

Is Mass Timber the Solution to California's Housing Crisis?

One writer argues that cost, versatility and visual appeal makes this new building material exactly what the state will need if planned regulatory changes go through.

March 14, 2018 - The Architect's Newspaper

Dolores Park

Opinion: Pricey Dorms Aren't the Problem with San Francisco

It's easy to make fun of expensive “adult dorms,” but in a San Francisco property market with few options beyond single-family homes, other living options should be welcomed

March 13, 2018 - Slate

Suburban Homes

Detroit Announces $250 Million Affordable Housing Fund

The city of Detroit is setting affordable housing as the cornerstone of its growth strategy.

March 13, 2018 - Detroit Free Press

Texas Homes

True Affordability: Critiquing the International Housing Affordability Survey

The International Housing Affordability Survey is biased in ways that make urban-fringe housing seem more affordable and infill seem less affordable. Anybody who uses this analysis should be warned.

March 12, 2018 - Todd Litman

Los Angeles Skyline with houses

California Spends $6.5 Billion on Homeowner Subsidies, 15 Times Less on Renters

A new report from the California Housing Partnership "revealed a wide gap between state support for homeowners and renters."

March 12, 2018 - Los Angeles Times

Minneapolis Sculpture Garden

Minneapolis Draft Comprehensive Plan Would Allow Fourplexes in Single-Family Neighborhoods

If the rezoning of single-family neighborhoods succeeds in Minneapolis as part of its ongoing Comprehensive Plan process, we could be looking at one of the most ambitious pro-development zoning schemes in the country.

March 12, 2018 - Minneapolis Star Tribune

Trump Campaign

HUD Changing Mission

Although it's unclear if the change is final, it's been widely reported that leadership at the U.S. Department of Housing and Development is pushing to remove wording about racial discrimination from the organization's mission statement.

March 10, 2018 - The Huffington Post

A Map of the Country's Black Homeownership Gap

None of the top 100 American cities in African American population offers inclusive homeownership rates.

March 10, 2018 - Urban Institute

Erskine Fire

In California, Policies Spur Rebuilding in the Wildland-Urban Interface

After the worst wildfire season ever, changes to local land use and state insurance rules essentially ensure that the same thing will happen again.

March 9, 2018 - Bloomberg BusinessWeek

Metro Gold LIne

L.A.'s Mayor Garcetti Sides With Single-Family Housing Near Transit

Politicians are taking positions on a controversial California housing bill to densify by transit. Even after amendments were accepted on March 1 in response to concerns about displacement and demolitions, the mayor of Los Angeles remains opposed.

March 9, 2018 - The Architect's Newspaper

Downtown Boise

Housing Affordability Challenges Visit Idaho

Boise and surrounding cities are going to need new housing to meet the demand of tens of thousands of new residents in the coming years.

March 9, 2018 - Idaho Business Review

Homeless Cars

A Man's Truck Is His Palace?

In a move to grant further autonomy and rights to the homeless population of Seattle, a court found in favor of a man who argued his truck was his home and should not have been towed after he didn't move for 72 hours.

March 8, 2018 - The Seattle Times

Las Vegas Homeless Encampment to Become Permanent

The city of Las Vegas is buying land on Foremaster Lane and making it legal for homeless residents to camp there.

March 8, 2018 - Next City

True Affordability: Critiquing the International Housing Affordability Survey

The International Housing Affordability Survey rates affordability in selected urban regions. Although presented as objective research, the IHAS is actually propaganda. Users of this information should be warned about its biases

March 8, 2018 - True Affordability. Critiquing the International Housing Affordability Survey

New York Skyline Fisheye

Study Analyses the Airbnb Effect in the New York City Housing Market

Less "sharing economy" and more normal economy for New York City in New York City, according to the findings of a recent study.

March 7, 2018 - CityLab

HUD

More Reports of Trouble at the Top of HUD

Another in a string of detailed exposés on the working conditions and policy agenda of the Department of Housing and Urban Development under the leadership of Secretary Ben Carson.

March 6, 2018 - The New York Times

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.