Housing Crisis
Affordable Housing or Trees: A Tough Choice in a Wave of New Development
Environmentalists are up in arms after the loss of thousands of trees to make room for new developments in Nashville. Now a new affordable housing project could be the demise of the city's largest tree.
Rent Control Rejected in California, But the Debate Is Far From Over
An opinion piece in CityLab reiterates the body of research showing evidence that rent control is not an effective tool in reducing housing costs.
L.A. Decides to Keep Short-Term Rentals Out of Rent Controlled Apartments
A City Council decision on short-term rental regulations reverses the decision of the City Planning Commission.
Anti-Displacement Policies Recommended for Austin
Faced growing housing costs and limited funding and resources for struggling homeowners and renters, the city of Austin has ramped up efforts to identify and lobby for housing policy changes.
New Research Changes the Narrative on the Effects of Rent Control
As California voters consider a ballot initiative that would greatly expand rent control around the state, researchers are working to inform the populace about rent control.
Local Resistance to Short-Term Rentals Goes National
As more cities grapple with the growth of short-term rentals, trends in regulation are beginning to emerge.
Boston-Area Mayors Announce Ambitious Housing Target
Mayors from 15 cities in the Boston region want to add 185,000 new units by 2030 in response to the housing shortage driving up prices in the region.
Granny Flats Legalized Citywide in St. Paul
The Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) movement has take hold in the Twin Cities. Now ADUs are allowed all over the city of St. Paul.
The Downsides of Upzoning
A new report suggests that upzoning is not the silver bullet some had hoped it would be for housing prices.
Section 8 Not Welcome
More landlords are refusing Section 8 vouchers for housing, neither willing to deal with the federal bureaucracy nor to risk missing out on the peak windfall of an expansive rental market.
Another SB 827? Ambitious California Housing Bill Isn't Quite Dead Yet
It received a lot of press, but ultimately California's Senate Bill 827 went nowhere. Now, the state senator who introduced the bill is working with advocates who opposed it on another version that just might have better chances.
Bay Area Displacement and Gentrification Trends Have Regional Consequences
Displacement in the San Francisco Bay Area has resulted in distinct mobility patterns and significant race and class inequalities.
San Jose Proposes Turning Schools into Teacher Housing, Faces Outcry
A San Jose Unified School District plan to relocate several schools and build affordable housing in their place has sparked controversy. The district says teachers increasingly can't afford to live in the area.
Is Residual Income a Better Metric for Housing Affordability?
The common metric for measuring housing affordability—whether households pay more than 30 percent of their income on shelter—has its downsides. Looking at residual income offers more precision in some respects.
California's Housing Package, One Year Later
It's too early to gauge the long-term effects of California's housing package signed a year ago. But with a $4 billion bond on the ballot this November, some facts (and some dramas) have already made themselves known.
15 Cities, 1 Mission: Build More Housing
A coalition of 15 cities in the Boston area agreed to rapidly build new housing to relieve pressure on the regional housing market.
A New, Renter-Friendly Politics Emerges
There are signs that politicians at every level are responding to the concerns of renters like never before. If only renter-friendly housing policies were matters of simple consensus.
San Jose to Vote on $450 Million Affordable Housing Bond
A $450 million bond referendum will come before San Jose voters this November. Mayor Sam Liccardo promises it is "a necessary but not sufficient tool" to provide stable housing at an epicenter of the housing crisis.
Breaking: Elizabeth Warren Releases Far-Reaching Housing Bill
The American Housing and Economic Mobility Act probably has no chance of passing into law, but it's still the most substantial gesture toward housing policy by a member of Congress since the subprime crisis of 2008.
Editorial: Drastic Changes Needed to Solve New York's Public Housing Crisis
Even if the money for repairing New York City's public housing were to materialize, it would be money poorly spent, according to this editorial.
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
