Housing
A U.K. Housing Policy Wishlist for 2015
Oliver Wainwright pens a wishlist of urban policies for 2015—the list focuses on issues of housing and development.
Op-Ed: New Massachusetts Leadership Must 'Think Big' on Housing
The state of Massachusetts has set a goal to establish 10,000 apartments and condos a year, but what will it take to deliver on that ambitious agenda, especially after the state's new political leadership takes over?
Op-Ed: Christie Administration Hobbles Affordable Housing
The Mount Laurel doctrine, as its known, has been a constant sticking point for New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's administration. The New York Times editorial board suggests that the court must take control of affordable housing.
Seattle Tenants Force Public Housing Not To Raise Rent
Seattle tenants win in rejecting public housing's proposal to quadruple rent.
10 Years After the Indonesian Tsunami: Rehousing for Resilience
What can rehousing initiatives teach us about the ongoing struggle for urban resilience?
Renters Are Not the Problem
A few weeks ago, Alan Mallach asked the question, "do urban neighborhoods need homeowners?" Tony Roshan Samara challenges his answer.
A Housing Affordability Report Card for the Bay Area
SPUR didn't give a grade to the Bay Area on housing affordability in its most recent issue of The Urbanist, but it does provide a thorough overview of the current and ongoing efforts to make housing more affordable in the region.

Transit Oriented Development Increases Value and Affordability
The new TOD Index provides solid information on Transit-Oriented Development impact and benefits. It indicates that home values near rail stations outperform the national market, yet they are also more affordable for residents.
Boomers Drive Home Sales; Millennials Still on the Sidelines
Bloomberg produced an article describing what it sees as the dominant narrative of the for-sale housing market as the country slowly emerges from the recession and adjusts to its new demographic realities.

The Most Popular Planetizen Posts of 2014
We've been collecting data on the posts you made the most popular for the year 2014.
Groundbreaking for Controversial 'Atlantic Yards' Development
The development formerly known as Atlantic Yards—now called Pacific Park—broke ground this week, finally setting in motion a massive development beset by fierce controversy in the 11 years since it was first proposed.
Fair Housing and Community Development: Better Together!
Conversations about fair housing and place-based work too often lead to a perceived need to defend turf. Reece and Kriesberg got together instead to talk about common ground, using Rooflines as a hub for debate!

Interactive Map Shows Wage Requirements for Rent Affordability
A post by Matthew Yglesias for Vox shows how much you would need to earn an hour to be able to afford a median rental property in your city.
Manufactured Housing: Underutilized and Misunderstood
What will it take for manufactured housing, the principal source of unsubsidized, affordable homes in the United States, to reach its potential?
The Most Expensive Cities for Short-Term Rentals
A recent study measured average prices (both peak and off-peak) of 60,000 properties in 150 cities. New York City showed a surprising distinction in hotel and Airbnb rates.

When Planners Misread Maps: It's Time to Rethink Zoning
Jordan Fraade writes of the embarrassing mishap of the New York City department that misread its own zoning maps. What else are we missing, and at what cost, because of byzantine land use regulations?
How a Land Trust Property Went Viral
Defy Media created a Prank It Fwd video that has received over 5 million YouTube views. What those viewers didn't know was that the house given away in the video is part of a land trust from Neighborhood Housing Services of Greater Cleveland.
Study Finds that Gasoline Prices Impact Home Values
A study published by the Brooking Institution finds varying results, depending on the neighborhood, for a study of the impact of gasoline prices on home values.

Popular in 2014: Increasing Transient Occupancy Taxes
Fourteen California municipalities attempted to increase their Transient Occupancy Taxes (TOTs) through ballot measures this November. Why are cities around the state looking to TOTs to increase revenues?

Top 10 Books - 2015
Planetizen is pleased to release its list of the ten best books in urban planning, design, and development published in 2014.
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