Housing

Single-family homes in a suburb of Dallas, Texas

North Texas HOA Effectively Bans Section 8 Recipients

Housing and civil rights advocates warn that the community’s rule instituting fines on landlords who rent to housing voucher recipients will disproportionately affect Black families.

July 27, 2022 - Texas Tribune

A row of Victorian homes in San Francisco, California

Whose History Is Being Preserved, Exactly?

As the housing crisis continues, advocates are increasingly wary of historic preservation efforts that serve to perpetuate historic inequities and keep housing costs high.

July 26, 2022 - San Francisco Examiner

Downtown Portland

Oregon Makes Historic Parking Reforms. What’s Next?

The state made sweeping reforms that eliminate parking requirements in some jurisdictions, which supporters hope will lead to faster, less expensive construction and the revitalization of vacant properties and underused lots.

July 26, 2022 - Sightline

California Houses

No End in Sight to U.S. Housing Shortage

Despite recent cooling in the overheated U.S. housing market, high costs and labor and supply shortages are causing continuing hardship for potential homebuyers and renters.

July 26, 2022 - The Hill

Los Angeles Street

Could L.A. Be a 15-Minute City?

Advocates argue that even famously car-centric Los Angeles can become a place where residents can easily access their daily needs without getting behind the wheel.

July 25, 2022 - LAist

Chicago Train Station

Chicago Passes Equitable TOD Ordinance

The new legislation will promote more development near transit in the city’s underserved neighborhoods and improve safety for pedestrians and other road users.

July 25, 2022 - City of Chicago

NIMBY spelled out in Scrabble tiles on a wood table

Friday Funny: Are You NIMBY Material?

A humorous “application form” skewers the so-called NIMBY movement.

July 22, 2022 - McSweeney's

Aerial view of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

South Carolina Town Blames Free Buses for Rise in Unhoused Population

City officials in North Myrtle Beach argue that a free transit program has led to a rise in the town’s homelessness rate.

July 22, 2022 - Mass Transit

Rent

California Rents Could Spike by as Much as 10 Percent

Thanks to inflation, landlords in parts of the state not limited by local rent stabilization ordinances can raise rent by up to 10 percent starting in August.

July 21, 2022 - Los Angeles Times

Texas State Capital

Austin Metro Home Sales Slow Dramatically

After a whirlwind of rising costs and sharply spiking demand for housing in smaller cities, the housing market is cooling down to pre-pandemic levels.

July 21, 2022 - KVUE

The interior of a multi-story apartment building includes a children's' playground and a colorful mural.

La Placita Cinco: A Strip Mall Redevelopment for Housing Affordability and Neighborhood Revitalization

U.S. cities lack land for new development but have many derelict or defunct parcels in need of revitalization. There are an estimated 70,000 strip mall centers in the country, all with tremendous potential for affordable and workforce housing.

July 21, 2022 - Tim Mustard

Washington

Spokane Prepares To Disband the State’s Largest Community of Unhoused People

With $24 million in state funding directed to Spokane’s efforts to reduce homelessness, city officials plan to relocate the over 600 residents of Camp Hope. But will services follow?

July 20, 2022 - RANGE Media

San Diego skyline and apartment buildings

San Diego Not Meeting State Housing Goals

Based on the number of permits issued for new construction in the last year, the city must triple its production to meet the targets set by the state in the latest round of the Regional Housing Needs Assessment.

July 20, 2022 - Voice of San Diego

Rental Construction

Report: Nation Short 3.8 Million Housing Units

Housing underproduction in the United States is growing more severe and more widespread.

July 20, 2022 - Up for Growth

Treasure Valley

How To Build More Affordable Housing in Idaho

Idaho cities can remove barriers to development, adjust zoning codes, and encourage the construction of accessory dwelling units and single-occupancy apartments to sustainably accommodate the state’s growing population.

July 19, 2022 - Idaho Capital Sun

Downtown Kansas City Missouri

Missouri Criminalizes Sleeping Outside

The state legislature passed a bill that bans sleeping on state land and threatens to pull state funding from cities with high rates of homelessness.

July 19, 2022 - The Kansas City Star

New York City Air Conditioners

New York City Issues Nearly All Its Housing Vouchers

After a slow start to the program, the city has distributed 91 percent of the housing vouchers issued through the American Rescue Act. Now housing agencies must help recipients actually find housing.

July 19, 2022 - City Limits

Capsule hotel in Japan

Capsule Housing: Affordable Solution or Dystopia?

Like Japan’s capsule hotels, the ‘podsharing’ housing model offers minimal, shared living space—but can it work as a long-term housing solution?

July 18, 2022 - Smart Cities Dive

Google maps street view of Burlington store in Daly City, California

To Meet Housing Goals, California Cities Turn to Mall Redevelopment

As brick-and-mortar stores decline due to the rise of e-commerce, cities look to mall sites as ideal locations for new housing.

July 18, 2022 - San Francisco Chronicle

Treasure Valley

Boise Backing Off Proposed Citywide Zoning Changes

Boise was considering allowing up to four units by-right on any residential parcel in the city, but has since rolled back the scale of the proposed zoning changes.

July 14, 2022 - Boise Dev

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.