Multifamily Housing

Red and white For Rent sign in front of brick building with flowerpots in background

Renters Expected To Fare Better Next Year

After years of rising housing costs, renters will see some relief in 2023 as supply rises and more tenant households stay put.

December 25, 2022 - Globe St.

Row of brick townhomes in Chicago

Chicago’s ‘Teardown Tax’ Slowing the Loss of Two-Flats

A demolition fee designed to preserve affordable housing in older buildings has had some impact on the city’s housing supply.

December 15, 2022 - Bloomberg CityLab

Low aerial view of two-story suburban Houston homes

Houston Becoming a Region of Renters

The area has seen a sharp increase in renters as rising housing costs put homeownership out of reach for more households and investors convert single-family homes to multifamily rentals.

December 14, 2022 - Houston Chronicle

Side view of older woman sitting on gray sofa gazing pensively out of wall-sized window.

Aging and the Housing Market

When wanting to downsize their living situation, some older Americans are startled to find a dearth of smaller housing units in their neighborhoods.

November 29, 2022 - The New York Times

Duplex with twin two-story homes

Do Owner Occupancy Requirements Constrain Housing Supply?

Born out of a fear of absentee owners and rapacious investors, owner-occupancy requirements can have the contradictory effects of excluding renters from neighborhoods and limiting the number of rental units available.

November 1, 2022 - Brookings / The Avenue

Twin Cities

New Studies Shed Light on Relationship Between Zoning and Racial Integration

While zoning is just one of many factors impacting racial integration and economic mobility, it is an issue with some of the more straightforward solutions.

October 17, 2022 - Mercatus Center

Manhattan, New York City, New York

Breaking NYC’s Housing Speculation Cycle

When wealthy investors treat homes like poker chips, it is the tenants who end up losing. How do we interrupt the vicious cycle of speculation and displacement?

August 23, 2022 - Shelterforce Magazine

South San Jose houses

The Housing Crisis: No Longer Just a Coastal Concern

The pandemic accelerated existing trends and created unsustainable housing demand in a wider range of towns and cities, exacerbated by outdated zoning restrictions.

August 17, 2022 - The Atlantic

Yellow house on residential street in Atherton, California

Another Silicon Valley Enclave Resists Multifamily Housing

Ultrawealthy residents have blocked a proposal to build townhouse developments in one of California’s most affluent communities.

August 16, 2022 - The New York Times

Sunset view of downtown Gainesville, Florida

Gainesville Set To Approve Contentious Zoning Reforms

The city commission voted in favor of a controversial zoning reform package that critics from multiple sides say won’t create more affordable housing for those who need it most.

August 9, 2022 - WUFT

Aerial view of waterfront houses in Seattle, Washington

Seattle Works To Revise Comprehensive Plan

The city has developed five concepts for updating its comprehensive plan to increase density and reverse the legacy of exclusionary zoning.

August 7, 2022 - Crosscut

San Francisco Houses

California Density Law Didn’t Kill the Single-Family Neighborhood

After the passage of a contentious zoning reform law that encourages ‘light infill’ in single-family neighborhoods, few California households have submitted applications to build extra units, largely due to onerous restrictions imposed by local laws.

July 11, 2022 - San Francisco Chronicle

Eugene, Oregon

Eugene Approves ‘Missing Middle Housing’

The city council voted to approve an ordinance that will permit more middle housing types in single-family neighborhoods.

June 1, 2022 - KLCC

The top floors of a row of pre-fab apartments or condos are shown against a blue sky.

How an ‘Aversion to Change’ Worsens the Housing Crisis

A long-standing tradition of opposing multifamily housing construction continues to hamper housing production even as demand for affordable options grows.

June 1, 2022 - Smart Cities Dive

Residential duplex building

Support for ‘Missing Middle Housing’ Strongest Among Young People

A recent survey shows overwhelming support for denser housing options, with younger people and renters most likely to support ‘missing middle housing’ types.

April 15, 2022 - The Architect's Newspaper

Mount Rainier

Tacoma Density Plan Moves to Phase Two

The Home in Tacoma plan would amend the city's zoning code to include more 'missing middle' housing types and encourage infill development.

April 7, 2022 - The Urbanist

Pacific Ocean

More SB 9 Drama: L.A. County Cities Sue California

Four Southern California cities are calling SB9 unconstitutional in the fight to retain local control over zoning codes and housing density.

April 4, 2022 - Times of San Diego

Exurban Construction

Opinion: Spokane Needs 'Missing Middle Housing'

With demand for housing in Eastern Washington rising steeply, the region could benefit from zoning reform that encourages small and mid-sized multifamily developments.

March 14, 2022 - The Pacific Northwest Inlander

The courtyard of a vecindad in Mexico City's Centro Histórico

Vecindades: Mexico City's Answer to 'Missing Middle Housing'

An iconic multifamily housing form repurposes the former homes of Mexico's elite into communal housing for urban workers.

January 25, 2022 - Bloomberg CityLab

Texas Townhomes

Blanket Upzoning: A Solution to Housing Pressures?

Mass upzoning could give developers and homeowners the flexibility to build new housing where it's most needed.

January 25, 2022 - Strong Towns

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.

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The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

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A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.