Housing
Miami's McMansion Moratorium
A measure has been passed in South Miami that places a moratorium of construction of new two-story houses -- a measure aimed at preventing development of oversized homes, or McMansions.
Booming Manhattan Pieds-À-Terre: Driving Out Middle Class And Reducing City's Vitality
Prestigious Manhattan locations are being purchased by absentee buyers for their occasional visits, with ill effects for those who want to call Manhattan their first home. New construction is often targeted for wealthy part-timers, not residents.
Tap Running Dry On Mortgage Refinancing
Higher interest rates, cooling housing markets, restrictive mortgages and more cautious banks are combining to choke off the home refinancing market. The current wave of mortgage defaults could be just the "tip of the iceberg."
Is The Housing Market Still Heading For A Bust?
Serious analysts across the political spectrum are coming to the same conclusion: the housing market is set to crash, and with it, the economy.
Habitat For Humanity Goes Multi-family
The non-profit organization famous for building single family homes for low-income families is being to develop higher-density projects in high-cost urban areas.
College Students Saving Money By Living In Substandard Housing
To help make ends meet, some students have taken to living in illegal, and often unsafe, residences.
Manhattan's West Side To See Burst Of Residential Construction
The first apartment buildings will soon begin rising on the former Hudson Yards, made possible by the rezoning of 300 acres two years ago.
High Homeowner Vacancy Rates Could Portend Continuing Housing Slump
The "often-overlooked measure" of homes for sale that are empty is the highest it's ever been. The figure could represent the influence of housing "speculators" and may signal continuing weakness in the national housing market.
Recycling Construction Waste
With debris from construction and demolition of buildings accounting for nearly one-half of all solid waste in the U.S., some entrepreneurs are looking at this landfill fodder as a viable source of reconstruction materials -- and a source of revenue.
Controversy Over Sale Of Largest Federally Subsidized Rental Project
Brooklyn's Starrett City is for sale. While most of the rents of the almost 5,900 apartments are federally subsidized, the tenants fear eventual displacement. Governor Spitzer has signaled he is willing to assist to keep the project affordable.
Seniors Face Shortage Of Subsidized Housing
A recent report has identified a severe housing shortage for senior citizens. Waiting periods for subsidized senior housing can last more than 13 months, according to the report.
Do Community Land Trusts Offer The Best Solution For Affordable Housing?
Community land trusts are becoming an increasingly popular way to create new housing that is permanently affordable, and interest in the innovative organizations continues to grow.
Homeless Housing Subsidy Program Under Fire In New York
A housing rights advocacy group in New York has released a report accusing the city of placing homeless people into substandard housing as part of a rent-subsidy program.
The Architecture Ideas Network
This article from WorldChanging discusses a new network for architects and designers to share and improve ideas. The network's creators hope this interactivity will help architects to create solutions for slum dwellers.
ULI To Tackle Workforce Housing Crisis
The Washington-based institute has established a new research center to focus on the problem of affordable housing in an effort to prevent further urban sprawl.
Recipe For Hot Housing Market? Small Town Lifestyle And Beautiful Scenery
Bend, Oregon -- population 67,000 -- led the nation in home appreciation last year, and has become a symbol of the booming market in picturesque western towns.
Amid Abuse, Maryland May Ban 'Ground Rents'
A bill is being pushed forward in Maryland that would ban all new "ground rents" -- a housing ownership situation in which one owner owns a house and another owns the land beneath the house. Some say the system is being used in a "predatory" way.
For Many, 'The End of The American Dream'
Interest-only loans and ARMs once touted as a panacea have now become the vehicle for massive foreclosures as financially distressed owners can no longer afford their expensive homes.
Award-Winning Affordable And Sustainable Housing
In New York City, the first juried design competition for affordable and sustainable has found its winner.
New Jersey Affordable Housing Plan Denied
An affordable housing plan for New Jersey has been thrown out by an appeals court, arguing that the plan was based on flawed data and did not accurately predict the demand for housing. The plan has been called discriminatory by housing advocates.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Ada County Highway District
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
