North America
How a Government-Sponsored Enterprise Turned Away From its Housing Mission
A coalition of housing advocates is calling on the Federal Home Loan Bank system to return to its original purpose — lending to support housing.
How a Dallas Housing Coalition Won Bonds for Affordable Housing
Dallas's bonds aren't usually used for housing. A new coalition of advocates changed that.
Kingston Agreed the Rent Was too Damn High — So It Lowered It
Rent stabilization typically limits the amount that rent can go up every year—but a newly appointed rent guidelines board in Kingston, New York took it a step further.
House Poor: Low-Income Homeowners Struggle in the Shadows
While renters and homebuyers’ challenges dominate the headlines, they aren't the only ones wrestling with maintaining decent housing.
Atlanta: An Urban Planner's Guide to the City
The nation’s first majority-Black city, Atlanta, has a rich identity steeped in African American culture and a sprawling footprint shaped by a complex history of the enterprising ‘Atlanta spirit,’ race relations, and segregation.
Research: Bike Rolling-Stop Laws Don’t Lead to Unsafe Behavior
Rolling stops by bicyclists get a bad rap, particularly among motorists who perceive them to be breaking the law. But new research shows laws that allow for rolling stops for cyclists do not lead to unsafe behavior by either group.
Book Excerpt: Rochester, New York’s Forgotten Subway
Did you know Rochester, New York, once had a subway? This book excerpt tells the story, complete with a custom map, of the only city in the world to build a subway and then close it.
When States Hinder Local Efforts to Cut Down on Cars
Reducing car dependency is a vital climate goal. Many U.S. cities want to shift trips to other modes, but they're often held back by state governments.
Will This Resident Group Get Full Control of the Complex They Helped Fix?
A group of Cambodian immigrants took partial control of an affordable housing property in the 90s, and since then, they’ve made big changes to the complex. But they haven’t been able to get full legal control of the property for decades. Why?
Sustainable Urban Design: A New Tool and Approach on The Talking Headways Podcast
Discover how the Sustainable Urban Design Framework helps planners create livable, sustainable communities. Nico Larco from the University of Oregon explores a new tool and book in the latest “Talking Headways” podcast.
The Fight Continues Against Criminalization of Homelessness
Though disappointed in the Supreme Court’s ruling allowing sleeping bans, homeless advocates are energized and organizing around other solutions.
They Had No Heat for Months. A New Law Let Them Sue.
In New York state, tenants can now take landlords to court directly to force repairs and get damages, without withholding rent first. Here’s how one of the first tests of the new law worked.
We Must Relocate to Prepare for Climate Change, and We Must Do it Now
As flooding, sea level rise, fires, and other climate impacts increase, we’ll need to move about 20 million Americans by 2100. Here’s how we can rethink managed retreat to get ahead of the rising tides.
The Meaning of Ruins on the Landscape
In the latest in a far ranging series of interest to planners—centered on contrasts between urban and natural environments—Chuck Wolfe speculates about the role of ruins in urban and natural environments.
Beating Extreme Heat Through Community Efforts
U.S. cities don't provide residents with enough protection against heat, the deadliest weather-related killer in the world. In New York City, one organization came together to distribute ACs to neighbors in need.
A Place to Recover from Illness: How Medical Respite Programs Help Unhoused People Heal
For people experiencing homelessness, recuperating after a hospitalization is difficult. Medical respite programs can help. Why aren't they more common?
In Upstate New York, the Fight for ‘Good Cause’ Continues
This week, Ithaca became the latest city to opt into New York’s new Good Cause Eviction Law. What are tenant organizers doing to make the law work better for their communities?
Cincinnati Eviction Prevention Program Shows Mixed Results
In 2019, a large affordable housing operator implemented a unique program meant to reduce evictions across its properties. Several years, one pandemic, and an economic downturn later, we check in to see how the landlord — and the tenants — are faring.
Opinion: TOPA Needs Capital to Succeed
TOPA helps prevent displacement and build tenant power in Washington, DC. Affordable capital is critical to its success.
Strength in Diversity: Crafting an Affordable Housing Coalition in Cincinnati
The city’s longtime champions of housing for low-income residents joined forces with an array of allies to establish a sustainable source of funding for affordable housing.
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
