Housing
Planning Programs to Watch in the Federal Omnibus Spending Bill
Congress is on pace to wrap up a major piece of federal legislation before leaving for recess.
The 'Both/And' of the Housing Debate
Planners and community development housing activists and professionals need to start thinking about housing policy as "both...and." It is not reasonable to couch housing policy as either unfettered building or only rent.
Shell Companies Rule Los Angeles Luxury Real Estate
For all the intention New York gets for foreign investors buying up rarefied air, Los Angeles has allowed shell companies to completely control the luxury real estate market—and the neighborhoods where it locates.
Have We Been Wasting Affordable Housing Money?
It might seem like 10, or even 30, years is a long time to require affordability—until it's over and your public investment is lost.
Vancouver Hands Residents the Keys to Granny Flats
Leading other expensive cities in North America, Vancouver, British Columbia is quickly adding accessory dwelling units as a result of permissive regulations approved in 2009.

Milwaukee's Push to Move the Homeless From the Streets Into Permanent Housing
Milwaukee County, Wisconsin is following a growing trend in cities across the country of working to end chronic homelessness by providing permanent housing to the homeless.
Zoning Strategies for an Aging Country
Planners convene to discuss a model plan for the smart growth of an aging population.
Report: Most New Rental Units Affordable Only for the Wealthy
A new report from the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies adds to what seems, at this point, like a tsunami of bad news for rental housing affordability.
Reducing the Mortgage Interest Deduction Could Be a Bipartisan Victory
The Washington Post Editorial Board calls for reform of the mortgage interest tax deduction.

Have We Got a Game for You: 'Bay Area Regional Planner'
Some people like to leave their work at the office. But maybe you're the kind of planner who likes to turn the largest challenges of the profession into a game to be enjoyed in your free time.

A Hoboken Resident Finds Fault in Parking Minimums
In older, denser communities like Hoboken, NJ, where almost everything is walkable and land value is sky high, why are city officials still requiring parking minimums?
Gentrification Is More Widespread Than We Think
Gentrification is happening faster than our ability to track it via census data. What is rental data telling us now?

Does Wendell Cox Realize He Just Supported Smart Growth?
Smart Growth critic Wendell Cox recently endorsed White House Economic Advisor Jason Furman's criticisms of zoning codes that limit infill development, essentially endorsing Smart Growth policy reforms.

Mr. Kimmelman's Metropolis
The New York Times architecture critic is making good on his promise to focus on the social context and redemptive qualities of urban architecture and design. A recent lecture in Denver identified several imperatives for the planning profession.

When Discussing Median Rents, Let's Make Sure We Have All the Data
Reports about the median rents rising or falling in a community garner a lot of attention, but it's a good idea to understand where the data is coming from.

Demand for Walkable Neighborhoods Outstripping Supply
Millennials and an aging Baby Boomer population have put a premium on "the hottest trend in real estate": walkability.

Cleveland Counts Its Vacant Homes, Finds Hope in Shrinking Numbers
Surveyors hitting the streets in Cleveland have found that the problem of vacant homes in the city isn't as bad as first feared.
Damage Control for New York's Big Zoning Proposals
One of the nation's most ambitious efforts to upzone neighborhoods in the hope of spurring more market rate and affordable housing supply is up for debate in New York City. A lot of people don't like the plan.

Seattle Is Teardown Town
Mansionization, that conspicuous manifestation of the demand for larger homes, is alive and well in Seattle.
Community Land Trusts Laying Down Roots in Baltimore
There are 200 community land trusts in the country, so the idea clearly has traction. With three organizations pursuing new community land trusts, the model might soon have a new test bed in Baltimore as well.
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