Housing

Second Home Purchases Decline Nationwide

In a reversal to 2005's trend to "buy first, and ask questions later", more and more prospective buyers are taking a cautious approach to buying their vacation home.

August 13, 2006 - The New York Times

Cities To Swap Cash For Meeting Housing Requirements

A Bay Area county will be the first in the region to take advantage of a new state law that allows cities to swap meeting state-mandated, affordable housing requirements for cash donations to cities which build affordable housing within same county.

August 13, 2006 - San Francisco Examiner, Peninsula edition

From B&B To Home Sweet Home

Travelers are increasingly out of luck as bed and breakfast inns across the country revert back to being private homes.

August 13, 2006 - The Wall Street Journal

A Battle For Open Space In Maryland

50 acres of woodland are up for sale in Maryland, and while a developer has scoped the land as a good site for 25 homes, local residents are pressuring local and state officials to employ a little-used open space funding program to buy up the land.

August 12, 2006 - The Baltimore Sun

Measuring Quality Of Life In The Treasure Valley Region

A report by Institute for Urban & Regional Planning at Boise State University looks at competitiveness and quality of life of the Treasure Valley.

August 11, 2006 - Boise State University Public Policy Center

FEMA Awards Housing Contracts For Katrina Work

Based on quality of plans and competitiveness of bidding, billions of dollars in housing contracts were awarded to six companies, some with immediate political ties to the current administration.

August 11, 2006 - Yahoo! News

Property Tax Increases Outstrip Personal Income Growth

Nationwide, the rise of personal property tax bills has nearly doubled as compared to the level of personal income in the years 2000-2004.

August 11, 2006 - The New York Times

New Jersey's 100,000 Unit Housing Plan

To combat housing prices that are increasingly out of reach for low- and middle-income buyers, the state has announced plans to develop 100,000 units of affordable housing over 10 years.

August 10, 2006 - The New York Times

UK Boosts Housing Development On Brownfields

Government policies have led to over three quarters of new homes in Britain being built on recycled land.

August 9, 2006 - The Guardian Unlimited

How Bad Will The Bubble Burst?

With so much wealth tied up in the housing industry, a market slow-down in the U.S. could have a larger economic effect than originally predicted.

August 9, 2006 - The Wall Street Journal

Inclusionary Housing Doesn't Work

An economist with the National Association of Home Builders argues that government mandated inclusionary housing has good goals but negative consequences.

August 8, 2006 - The Orlando Sentinel

When Life Doesn't Imitate Art

As television uses more and more suburban settings, viewers should ask how closely do the on-screen places resemble reality.

August 7, 2006 - The Next American City

Upscale Suburban City Looks At Options For Creating Affordable Housing

Planning commissioners from Santa Clarita, California, have recent visited several Southern California cities with affordable housing ordinances in hopes of gaining insight for a possible inclusionary housing ordinance.

August 6, 2006 - The Signal News

Gentrification: The New York Experience

A new book from Columbia University Professor Lance Freeman documents the changes of two African-American communities in New York City.

August 4, 2006 - National Public Radio

Maryland Housing Market Shows Signs Of Cooling

Following closely behind Northern Virginia and Washington DC, condo conversions in Baltimore are now halted.

August 3, 2006 - The Baltimore Sun

India's Hot Housing Market

A recent story about the nation's largest and most successful developer highlights the acceleration of India's urban development.

August 3, 2006 - Bloomberg

New Urbanism Hits The Mainstream In Britain

Backed by government support, Britain's land use laws are bringing new urbanism to the mainstream.

August 3, 2006 - The Economist

Toronto Project LEEDs City And Developer To Green

A new green project near Toronto is fostering a LEED-ing of the city. The 243-acre development will be Canada's largest LEED-certified project yet, and though the developer hadn't planned on going green, it turned out to be more profitable.

August 3, 2006 - The Globe and Mail

Growth Is Squeezing Out Rural Life In Arizona

Arizona's rural landscapes are being taken over and obstructed by huge housing booms and development projects. Residents are supporting a ballot initiative to preserve hundreds of thousands of acres of land, while legislators side with developers.

August 2, 2006 - The Arizona Republic

Central Florida Going From Suburban To Urban

High land prices in the Orlando area have helped encourage higher density development. Urban planners applaud the new trend, but some residents worry about the change in the region's character.

August 1, 2006 - The Orlando Sentinel

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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