Housing

Urban Fringe Development Debated In South Africa

A draft spatial development framework in Cape Town has created a rift between developers and city planners over how much and what type of development should be allowed to push out to the city's urban fringe.

September 7, 2006 - Business Day

Court Pours Cold Water On Deltona's Hot Annexation Plans

Recent ruling by a Florida court says that the annexed property is not contiguous to the city, thus halting the proposed development plan.

September 7, 2006 - The Orlando Sentinel

Melbourne Evicts Artists, Raises Rent

Artists in Melbourne, Australia, have been evicted as the city seeks to turn their studios into condos. The city likes the artist culture, but the artists cannot provide the higher rents the gentrifying city requires.

September 7, 2006 - The Age

Atlanta Greens With $2.8 Billion 'Beltline'

A plan is unfolding to create a 22-mile loop of green space and transit routes in downtown Atlanta, one of the most car-dependent cities in America. The plan started out as a graduate student's thesis and is now fully adopted by the city.

September 7, 2006 - The New York Times

Duany Brings Charrette To Scotland

Scotland calls on Andres Duany and his firm to develop a housing plan for Inverness, which is facing rapid population growth. Duany plans to employ the charrette to hear the voice of the Scottish people, who have been engulfed in sprawl for decades.

September 6, 2006 - The Press and Journal

Eminent Domain Threatened On Exclusive Golf Course In Caracas

Property rights in Venezuela's largest city continue to be strained by Caracas Mayor Juan Barreto who hopes to seize two elite, private golf courses and convert them to low-income housing to tackle Caracas' chronic housing shortage.

September 6, 2006 - The New York Times

D.C. Developments Are Successfully Bland

Large housing developments popping up in Washington D.C. are gaining praise from the city's leadership for reinvigorating a once desolate area. But the developments are also garnering criticism for failing to weave residents in with the city.

September 6, 2006 - The Washington Post

Ratcheting Down Density

Without a viable mass transit system and concentrated employment centers, Atlanta should reduce allowable density and build more roads, says one columnist.

September 5, 2006 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Australia's PM Says Sprawl Is The Price For Cheap Housing

Prime Minister John Howard says that a lack of residentially zoned land is to blame for Australia's growing affordable housing shortage.

September 5, 2006 - Melbourne Herald Sun

The Criminalization of Homelessness

Treating homelessness as a criminal justice issue not only represents a waste of civic resources, but fails to address the root causes of homelessness, writes Tulin Ozdeger, an attorney at the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty.

September 5, 2006 - TomPaine.com

Bigger Incomes, Bigger Homes, Less Satisfaction

Americans are buying bigger homes and on average, to house fewer people. Ironically, their satisfaction in housing choice has eroded somewhat over the last twenty years.

September 5, 2006 - The Los Angeles Times

Transit Oriented Development On The Rise In Atlanta

After years of inactivity, new mixed-use developments are sprouting around MARTA transit stations.

September 3, 2006 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Three-part Series On Rebuilding From Katrina, A Year Later

The Christian Science Monitor runs a feature-length, three-part series that examines the people, money, and environment on the Gulf Coast one year after Katrina.

September 2, 2006 - The Christian Science Monitor

Zoning Wars: Taking On 'McMansionization'

The demolition of small homes and construction of mansions on the modest-sized lots is prompting a backlash in Southern California cities.

September 1, 2006 - The Los Angeles Times

For Sale: 10 City Blocks In New York City

Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village, two World War II era middle-class housing developments on Manhattan's lower east side, are up for sale -- with an estimated value of $5 billion.

August 31, 2006 - The New York Times

Calgary Suffering From Its Excess Of Riches

The fallout from a local oil boom has Calgary scrambling to address shortages of labor, housing, office space, and just about everything else.

August 31, 2006 - The Wall Street Journal

All Eyes On Air District's Sprawl Fee Litigation

California's Central Valley, where farms are rapidly being converted to tract housing, has the worst air quality in the state. A new "sprawl fee" on developments based on vehicle trips they would generate has spawned a legal challenge from builders.

August 31, 2006 - The New York Times

In Monterey California, It's Slow-Growth Advocates Versus Developers and Immigrants

What to do with an area that produces some 80 percent of the nation's lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, and spinach that lacks in housing for migrant workers? Why build more housing of course. Not so fast say "slow-growth" advocates.

August 31, 2006 - Wall Street Journal via The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Canadian Courts Challenge The Criminalization Of Homelessness

Cities across the U.S. and Canada have implemented bylaws making it illegal to sleep in public places. Now British Columbia's Supreme Court is considering a court case challenging such laws as violating the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

August 30, 2006 - The Globe and Mail

HUD Hoax Highlights New Orleans Housing Condition

Louisiana Governor Blanco and New Orleans Mayor Nagin are the target of another elaborate hoax by The Yes Men.

August 30, 2006 - Democracy Now

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.