Housing
Thousands With 'Exotic' Home Loans Face Foreclosure
Unscrupulous lenders and brokers in South Florida promoting "exotic" loans blamed for a dramatic increase in foreclosures, with worse still to come.
Hip, Downtown Living Revitalizing Fading Small Towns
Even humble burgs like Mount Airy, N.C., inspiration for Mayberry on the "Andy Griffith Show," are experiencing the trend. A local tobacco warehouse there will be redeveloped into 43 market-rate apartments. Has technology made location irrelevant?
Study Finds Local Ordinances Create Sprawl
A new study shows that Adequate Public Finance Ordinances (APFOs)in the National Capital Region may counter state's efforts at managing growth effectively.
New York City Losing Affordable Housing
Two studies confirm that NYC is loosing its affordable housing stock at an increasingly rapid pace notwithstanding Mayor Blumberg's to both preserve existing stock and add substantially to it. Section 8 and Mitchell-Lama programs were studied.
FL County Approves Huge Rural Development Conflicting With Comprehensive Plan
Despite working with rural property owners for seven years to develop a 'sector plan' directing growth in rural areas, Palm Beach County voted to send a proposed plan amendment allowing 10,000 homes to the State for review. Area residents object.
Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance Ruled Unconstitutional In San Diego
A judge has ruled the City of San Diego's 10 percent inclusionary zoning ordinance unconstitutional. Building industry officials are pleased, although the decision "could bankrupt the affordable housing fund".
Cities Use Zoning, Housing Code To Define Social Norms
A city does not consider an unmarried couple and their children a family and denies them an occupancy permit.
Does Land Use Planning Equal Unaffordable Housing In San Francisco?
Randal O'Toole blames land use planning for high housing costs in San Francisco in this op-ed column.
China's Housing Headed For Serious Deflation?
An astronomical vacancy rate and prices that are far from affordable have prompted government action.
Fort Lauderdale Mayor Calls Workforce Housing Ordinance 'Communistic'
Fort Lauderdale's mayor condemned a proposed workforce housing ordinance as unfair to developers and 'communistic'. He said people mistakenly think they're entitled to an affordable single family house on a 40-hour work week.
The Ever-Expanding New York City Commute
As housing prices continue to increase in the New York City metropolitan area, residents are moving farther and farther away to find affordable housing.
A 'Soft Landing' In Southern California?
The median home price in the six-county Southern California region rose a modest nine percent during the last 12 months, compared to the muscular 26 percent climb on a year-over-year basis at the market's peak in Spring 2004.
Cataloguing The Catalog Homes
Preservationists, historians, and amateur urban sleuths are scouring U.S. neighborhoods to identify and protect as many of the 70,000 to 100,000 "kit" homes made by Sears, Roebuck and Company as possible.
Los Angeles Okays 1-Year Ban on Loft Conversions
Los Angeles City Council hopes to slow gentrification of downtown by approving a moratorium on conversion or demolition of low-cost hotels.
Norman Castle Invades Atlanta Neighborhood As McMansion Moratorium Ends
In Buckhead, a 6,000 square foot Norman-style house dwarfs its 2,700 square foot neighbors, while the City Council's Zoning Committee defeats the moratorium on "McMansions".
Got Plans For 2056? Announcing The 50-Year Mortgage
In the face of skyrocketing house prices, some lenders are offering unprecedented 50-year mortgages.
Should More Development Cost 'Mama' Her Home?
A developer wants to raze the old Buckingham Village apartments in Arlington County, to replace them with pricey new townhomes. Should "neighborhood guardian" Lillian Veney and her dog, who have lived in the complex for 12 years, be forced out?
'Aging-In-Place': A Growing Trend In Elderly-Assistance Models
Bucking a decades-old trend of steering the elderly toward nursing homes to live out their sunset years, many communities are developing programs to assist older residents who want to remain in their own houses.
The Least Affordable Places To Live In The U.S.
California wins the dubious distinction of being home to 11 of the least affordable locales. Why has the state trumped other hotspots like New York and Florida?
Tents For The Homeless Spring Up Throughout Paris
Doctors of the World began providing the city's homeless with the temporary shelter, and now the trend is picking up steam.
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.
Ada County Highway District
Clanton & Associates, Inc.
Jessamine County Fiscal Court
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
