Housing

When Neighborhoods Improve, Social Safety Nets Unravel

Residents of one Las Vegas community fear being evicted as an urban renewal project goes underway. According to this article, projects like this often hurt neighborhoods by destroying the social ties they once contained.

December 18, 2008 - Las Vegas Sun

Housing Authority 'Charging for Everything'

The Paterson Housing Authority in New Jersey will soon enact some new rules and fees, including charging $20 for every washer, dryer and large screen plasma television.

December 18, 2008 - North Jersey

OC City May Snatch Up Foreclosed Properties

Huntington Beach is one of a few cities that is weighing the option to purchase its own foreclosed properties, and eventually making them affordable housing.

December 18, 2008 - Orange County Register

First Homes Completed in Brad Pitt's New Orleans Effort

In New Orleans' Ninth Ward, Hurricane Katrina's devastation is painfully evident. But a philanthropic homebuilding effort led by actor Brad Pitt aims to help the neighborhood rebuild. The first homes in that effort have just completed construction.

December 18, 2008 - Architectural Record

Seattle's Affordable Housing Plan Blasted For Poor Timing

The Seattle City Council recently approved a new affordable housing plan allowing builders to develop larger buildings if they include a certain amount of affordable units. But developers say the plan is ill-timed and they plan on ignoring it.

December 17, 2008 - The Seattle Times

Subprime North

Two years ago, Canada opened the door to American subprime lenders, leading to a game of one-upmanship with Canada's federal mortgage insurer, CMHC.

December 16, 2008 - The Globe and Mail

New York Housing Commissioner to Head HUD

New York City Housing Commissioner Shaun Donovan has been picked to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

December 15, 2008 - The Financial Times

Education Suffers in NY Projects

December 15, 2008 - Judy Chang

Census Data Shows How Housing Bubble Burst

Figures recently released by the Census Bureau offer a glimpse at the pre-existing economic situation that led to the burst of the housing bubble.

December 12, 2008 - The Seattle Times

Economic Tremors Felt By New Urbanists

"Economic troubles spread from housing to other development sectors, including retail and offices."

December 12, 2008 - New Urban News

From Edge-City to Real City

Its way of life no longer en vogue, the auto-centric suburb of Tysons Corner, VA plans to undergo a large-scale transformation into a walkable, "real" city over the course of the next 30 years.

December 11, 2008 - NPR

The Sick Days of the Condo

Housing starts in Canada are down dramatically, but no more so than in the condo market, which accounts for half or more of the housing construction in such cities as Vancouver and Toronto.

December 10, 2008 - The Globe and Mail

Foreclosures Swarm Through Las Vegas

Foreclosures are spreading across the country like a plague, and there's almost no place worse hit than Las Vegas.

December 9, 2008 - NPR

Cities Struggling to Work With Stabilization Funds

Congress has approved a $4 billion federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program, but as the funding trickles down to cities, many find the money too tight to solve many of their problems.

December 7, 2008 - The Wall Street Journal

City Tackles Coyotes

Austin officials are wrestling with how to confront coyotes encroaching on suburban and urban neighborhoods.

December 4, 2008 - News 8 Austin

Clearing the Way for Mixed-Use, But Economy Puts Projects On Hold

The people of Salt Lake City have gotten behind the switch to mixed-use, and developers have been clearing away old sprawl. But the flailing economy has put projects on hold, leaving the city with a landscape full of holes.

December 3, 2008 - Utah Stories

Co-Housing Grows in Brooklyn

A group of Brooklyn residents has taken over an unfinished 40-unit development site and plans to create a co-housing community with a courtyard and 6,000 sq ft of common space for meals, work and play.

December 2, 2008 - The New York Times

Inland Empire Prepares for 350,000 Foreclosures

Local and regional governments in Riverside County, California, have assembled a "Red Team" task force to mitigate the impacts of the foreclosure crisis in the fastest growing region in the state.

November 30, 2008 - The Planning Report

Worse Times Ahead for Housing

Latest figures are indicating that as many as 4 in 10 mortgage holders in America could soon be "underwater," with the potential for millions to simply walk away.

November 25, 2008 - McClatchey Newspapers

Senior Housing Options Decline Amidst Housing & Financial Crises

Unable to sell their homes, thousands of aging seniors throughout the U.S. who would have moved to assisted or independent living or retirement communities are staying put - in homes they would love to leave but are financially tied to.

November 25, 2008 - The New York Times

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

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