Housing
Charlotte Neighborhood Faces Uncertain Future
Neighborhoods like Cherry in the fast-growing city of Charlotte are faced with intense pressures in the real estate market. The city is scrambling to craft a plan that can leverage the city's assets to the benefit of the whole city.

Right to the City
You may not have a moral right to live in an expensive city—but does the government have a moral right to exclude you?

Managing Abandoned Homes in North Braddock
The usual litany of Rust Belt woes hit North Braddock, Pennsylvania particularly hard. The Pittsburgh suburb has shed two-thirds of its population and is burdened with 350 abandoned properties.
Oil Woes: Houston Housing Prices Falling Quickly
The price of oil has been on a steady decline since 2014, and the housing markets of oil industry towns are on their own, similar slide.

NIMBYs at Center of California's Housing Shortage
Sacramento Bee's political columnist, Dan Walters, writes that NIMBYs are among the main reasons for the state's chronic housing crisis, and one of their main tools is the California Environmental Quality Act, which must be reformed by politicians.
Case Study: Denver's Accessory Dwelling Units
Since a zoning code change in 2010, the city of Denver has added 66 accessory dwelling units in a city of 650,000.

Downtown Reno: A Place Where Nobody Dared to Go
Residents of Reno, Nevada participating in a rewrite of the city’s master plan have spoken out about the myriad of problems afflicting their downtown—it's dirty, dangerous, and deserted.
Washington, D.C. Considering Expansion of Homebuyer Assistance Program
The nation's capital is hoping to increase the funding support offered to households through the Home Purchase Assistance Program to help more people afford the critical first step of buying a home.
State of Oregon Could Remove Legal Barriers for Inclusionary Zoning
The Oregon State Senate is considering a bill that would lift a 17-year-old ban on inclusionary zoning.

Are Tiny Houses All They Are Cracked Up To Be?
Maybe not so much, according to an article in the Globe and Mail.
World Record Sale for Manhattan Real Estate, Again
The $5.46 billion sale last October for the private 83 acres of Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village barely topped the prior world record set for the same property in 2006 and preserved 5,000 apartments for middle income renters.
Creating a Community of Choice
The Mountain View neighborhood in Anchorage is described as the most diverse neighborhood in the U.S., becoming a model of neighborhood change and a community of choice thanks to the efforts of local leaders and many dedicated community residents.
Tracking Cash-Only Real Estate Transactions
The U.S.Treasury Department will begin identifying and tracking secret buyers of high-end luxury real estate in Manhattan and Miami Dade County because of concerns about the illicit flow of money.
Thinking a Little Bigger About the Tiny House Thing
Can the tiny house fetish evolve to address real sustainability and affordable housing challenges? Ben Brown says yes.

Doing Well By Doing Good: Passive House and Affordable Housing
Pennsylvania finds proof that Passive House standards can be built at affordable housing prices, after the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency incorporated Passive House benchmarks into its Low Income Housing Tax Credit application.
D.C. Inclusionary Zoning Tweaks Would Serve Lower Income Households
The D.C. Zoning Commission will be the first to consider staff recommendations for adjustments to District's inclusionary zoning policy.
Proposed Blight Solution: Shift Subsidies from Rent to Ownership
Pittsburgh mayor Bill Peduto thinks Section 8 housing subsidies could get two birds with one stone: help low-income households find affordable housing and reduce blight.

Finding Homes Harder For Those With Disabilities
A new study finds that the number of units available to those with a disability is insufficient to meet the growing needs of an aging population.
A New Jersey Town Comes Undone Over Affordable Housing
Faced with a court ordered requirement to provide its fair share of affordable housing, one New Jersey town's residents have lashed out with some anti-Semitic overtones against plans for a new development.

A Brief Explainer of the Urban vs Suburban Migration Inflow/Outflow Argument
Has the renaissance of our urban cores petered out or will the movement of suburban refugees to denser metro neighborhoods continue? Let's see what demographics and economics tell us.
Pagination
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.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service