Homeowners in the state are eagerly taking advantage of new laws allowing them to build additional housing units, making a small but significant impact on the housing supply.

The liberalization of laws surrounding the construction of accessory dwelling units (ADUs), also known as granny flats, is starting to make a significant dent in California’s housing crisis. While far from a panacea, the flurry of permits issued for ADUs signal that homeowners across the state are eager to take advantage of the opportunity to build an extra housing unit on their property.
As Erica Werner explains in The Washington Post, “More than 23,000 ADU permits were issued in California last year, compared with fewer than 5,000 in 2017 — which was around when ADU permitting began to take off thanks to legislative and regulatory changes in the state.” Los Angeles issued 7,160 of those permits, while only issuing 1,387 permits for single-family homes in the same time period.
Despite the high cost of ADU construction—the average unit runs roughly $300,000—“a study from the NYU Furman Center found that ADUs are being built not in the wealthiest neighborhoods, but more often in low- to middle-income areas, and often in places with relatively good access to jobs.” According to study author Christopher Elmendorf, “‘That’s consistent with the theory that this is a viable form of development in places that you may not’ otherwise be able to easily build.” David Garcia, policy director for the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at the University of California at Berkeley, says the speed at which Californians are applying for ADU permits signals “a pent-up demand from homeowners to want to do more with their land.”
FULL STORY: ‘Granny flats’ play surprising role in easing California’s housing woes

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

Research Shows More Roads = More Driving
A national study shows, once again, that increasing road supply induces additional vehicle travel, particularly over the long run.

Which US Rail Agencies Are Buying Zero-Emissions Trains?
U.S. rail agencies are slowly making the shift to zero-emissions trains, which can travel longer distances without refueling and reduce air pollution.

San Diego School District Approves Affordable Housing Plan
The district plans to build workforce housing for 10 percent of its employees in the next decade and explore other ways to contribute to housing development.

Lawsuit Aims to Stop NYC’s ‘City of Yes’ Zoning Reforms
A lawsuit brought by local lawmakers and community groups claims the plan failed to conduct a comprehensive environmental review.
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.
City of Moreno Valley
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland
Newport County Development Council: Connect Greater Newport