Housing

A Look at Housing in South Africa

Posh gated communities are juxtaposed with shanty towns in South Africa, where a constitutional housing guarantee is seen by many as a far-off dream.

August 28, 2008 - Progressive Planning Magazine

Fighting Blight, Cities Become Realtors

Boston, Minneapolis and San Diego are flipping houses in an effort to prevent neighborhood blight- a strategy that appears to be working.

August 27, 2008 - The New York Times

The 250 Sq. Ft. Condo

Technically these are SROs- Single Room Occupancy units, but it's a spanking new building, cafe below, in the vibrant SoMa district, starting at only $279,000. The catch: some units are only 250 sq.ft.

August 25, 2008 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Five Cities Fighting Abandonment

This article from Developer looks at five cities that are dealing creatively with their foreclosure and abandonment problems.

August 23, 2008 - Developer

Mixed-Use Faces Mixed Reviews in Fullerton

In Fullerton, CA, a dense new mixed-use building is facing criticism from neighbors and residents. 'All of a sudden we get one of these mixed-use buildings, [and] it's like a fort got dropped out of the sky,' says one neighbor.

August 20, 2008 - The Los Angeles Times

Hidden Housing: People Are Creating Their Own Idiosyncratic Solutions

Vancouver Magazine takes a look at the many ways people create their own housing solutions outside the norm, from mortgage sharing to garage renovations to illegal units.

August 19, 2008 - Vancouver Magazine

City Tries To Curb 'Spite Landscaping'

A city in the midst of a revitalization effort has targeted landscape designs allegedly aimed at spiting the neighbors.

August 18, 2008 - Dallas Morning News

Housing Crash Forgot Dallas

In this segment from NPR, a Dallas residential realtor talks about how his city -- where the average price has actually gone up about 2% over the last year -- has bucked the national downward housing trend.

August 17, 2008 - NPR

British Columbia Considers Carbon-Neutral Construction By 2020

In British Columbia, a proposal to require all new buildings to be carbon-neutral is being considered. The rule would require that buildings have no carbon footprint by 2020.

August 15, 2008 - The Globe and Mail

Plans Vary for Foreclosure Relief Funds

Foreclosure-stricken cities and states are looking forward to receiving federal relief funding. Their plans for using the funding vary.

August 15, 2008 - The Christian Science Monitor

Troubles for D.C.'s Building Repair Program

A Washington D.C. project to clean up and repair dilapidated buildings in the city is coming under scrutiny for shoddy work and millions of dollars in public money that are virtually unaccounted for.

August 15, 2008 - The Washington Post

Vacation Home Shareholding

The American trend of "fractional ownership", a real estate concept in which a number of investors own fractions of vacation homes, has moved to Europe.

August 14, 2008 - International Herald Tribune

The $1 Home

A foreclosed property in Detroit was recently put on the market at a selling price of just one dollar.

August 14, 2008 - The Detroit News

When Housing Market Rebounds, Green Building May Boom

The current downturn in the housing industry may be opening the door for a greener upswing.

August 9, 2008 - Fast Company

New, Unfinished Housing Turns to Ghost Town

Early buyers in new housing developments are finding themselves stranded in virtual ghost towns as developers go belly up.

August 5, 2008 - Wall St. Journal

Decline in Homeless: Figures in Question

HUD's new report shows an astonishing decline in homelessness across the United States, but some groups are saying that they are too good to be true.

August 4, 2008 - Newsday

Builder Says Inclusionary Zoning Doesn't Work

In this op-ed, a builders association representative argues that proposals for inclusionary zoning laws in Minnesota that require a certain percentage of affordable housing do not achieve the goals they aim for.

August 4, 2008 - The Pioneer Press

Affordable Housing Relief Coming to Southern California

In the same week that Congress passed the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, Los Angeles announcemed the New Generation Fund, a $100 million program for affordable housing.

August 1, 2008 - The Planning Report

Homelessness Drops 30% from 2005 to 2007

The amount of people living in homeless shelters and on U.S. streets has dropped roughly 30% since 2005, according to recent statistics compiled by the federal government.

July 31, 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

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.