Housing

Aerial view of downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin at sunset

A Decade of Progress on Homelessness in Milwaukee County

Unlike most U.S. communities, Milwaukee County has managed to make significant progress toward assisting unhoused residents through a Housing First approach.

February 27, 2025 - Governing

Collage of 5 GIS maps from the ESRI American Community Survey (ACS) Atlas Collection.

Explore US Demographics With the New ACS Atlas Collection

Esri's new ACS Atlas Collection offers interactive applications that visualize the latest U.S. demographic and socio-economic data, enabling users to explore over 175 curated web maps across various thematic areas.

February 27, 2025 - ArcGIS Blog

Trees in bloom with pink flowers on a residential street in Seattle, Washington.

Opinion: Housing Versus Trees Is a False Choice; Swap Pavement for Trees Instead

Seattle’s goal to cover 30 percent of the city with tree canopy by 2037 doesn’t need to be sacrificed in favor of density. There’s a better way.

February 26, 2025 - The Urbanist

Aerial view of the Atlanta Beltline walking and biking trail with mid-rise buildings on either side.

Beltline Surpasses Annual Affordable Housing Goal

The Atlanta Beltline agency is actively working to prevent the displacement of longtime residents along the trail system, where property values are rising rapidly.

February 26, 2025 - Axios

Colorful rowhouses in Washington, D.C.

DC Residents Want Affordability Over ‘Character’

A poll finds that most residents want to see changes in zoning and land use laws that unlock more housing construction in the District and improve affordability.

February 26, 2025 - Greater Greater Washington

An overhead image of a large wooden building as it's being constructed.

California’s Housing Laws Yielding Disappointing Results

A relatively few number of new units are being built as a result of new laws aimed at boosting the housing supply.

February 25, 2025 - CALmatters

Bureau of Land Management West Desert District & Salt Lake Field Office in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Public Lands Can Help Us Tackle the Housing Crisis in the West

The U.S. owns more than 650 million acres of public lands, and it has the power to sell or lease limited parcels for affordable housing. But mass disposal of public lands, as some legislators have proposed, is not the answer.

February 25, 2025 - Shelterforce

Google street view of vacant lot in Phoenix, Arizona.

Phoenix Facilitates School-to-Affordable Housing Development

Two Phoenix school districts are selling their underused properties to build over 200 units of affordable housing.

February 25, 2025 - The Copper Courier

Close-up on mortgage application terms and house-shaped gold keychain with gold key on it.

HUD Cuts Could Derail Mortgage Underwriting Agency

Staffing cuts at the Federal Housing Administration could imperil affordable housing projects and mortgage programs for new homeowners.

February 25, 2025 - Bloomberg CityLab

Tents set up against fence by unhoused people under freeway overpass in San Francisco, California.

New Book Highlights Human Side of Homelessness Crisis

A San Francisco reporter’s empathetic portrait of unhoused Bay Area residents reminds readers why supportive housing is worth fighting for.

February 24, 2025 - The New Yorker

Banner reading "I'm not a tourist - I live here!!!" hung on balcony in Barcelona, Spain.

Barcelona Buys Building to Prevent Tenant Evictions

One apartment building — and its tenants who faced eviction — became a potent symbol of the city’s growing housing crisis.

February 24, 2025 - Bloomberg CityLab

Multistory apartment building under construction.

Permanent Supportive Housing Providers Face Steep Insurance Hikes

High insurance costs are calling some organizations’ future into question as supportive housing providers struggle to meet their expenses.

February 23, 2025 - Next City

Black and white photo of row of tents set up against fence outdoors.

Trump Wants to Force Homeless People Into ‘Tent Cities.’ Can He?

The president pushed for sweeping crackdowns and the possible internment of people experiencing homelessness. To see what's coming, we should look to what states have already done.

February 21, 2025 - Shelterforce

John Bridge Monument (also known as The Puritan), in the northeast corner of the Cambridge Common in Cambridge, Massachusetts with fall foliage on ground.

Cambridge Passes Zoning Reform

Developers can now build housing of up to six stories in the Massachusetts city.

February 20, 2025 - Saporta Report

Tiny home village for unhoused reisdents in Torrance, California.

Tiny House Villages for Addressing Homelessness: An Interview with Yetimoni Kpeebi

One researcher's perspective on the potential of tiny homes and owner-built housing as one tool to fight the housing crisis.

February 20, 2025 - Mark Tirpak

Downtown Los Angeles viewed from Echo Park with lake with artesian fountain in foreground.

A Sustainable Future for LA: Updating the OurCounty Plan

Los Angeles County is updating its Sustainability Plan to refine its vision for climate action, environmental justice, and community well-being, with residents encouraged to participate by taking the OurCounty 2025 Update Community Survey.

February 19, 2025 - Los Angeles County Chief Sustainability Office

Aerial view of suburban mixed-use development outside Austin, Texas with lake in foreground and complex of apartment buildings.

Rents Rose Between December and January

After dropping to a three-year low, U.S. rent costs grew in many major cities.

February 19, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Aerial view of Fremont, California.

Fremont, California Criminalizes Homelessness, “Abetting” Encampments

Non-profits worry the ordinance, which does not explicitly exempt service providers, will have a chilling effect on unhoused residents and those who offer resources.

February 18, 2025 - The Guardian

View of Seattle skyline on clear sunny day with Space Needle on left and Mount Rainier in the background.

Housing Measure Wins in Seattle Special Election

Voters approved a new tax that could bring in $50 million per year for social housing.

February 16, 2025 - King 5 News

"No Camping" stencil on concrete.

Why Accuracy in Homelessness Data Matters

Cities have access to tools that can more effectively capture information about unhoused residents and pinpoint what types of resources are needed and where.

February 16, 2025 - Governing

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.