You can pay off the mortgage, but you can never leave.

Candace Jackson contributes an article for the New York Times Sunday Review that digs into the emergence of the extra room—call it an accessory dwelling unit or a granny flat—as a necessary amenity in American homes.
A decade ago, a dream home was designed to wow your friends and neighbors. Today, it’s designed to house your relatives. Or your Airbnb guests. And also be your workplace. Homebuilders say one of the biggest selling points in 2018 isn’t a three-car garage or a grand entryway — it’s a home with flexibility.
In the post-recession housing boom (or crisis, depending on your position in the market), "the American dream home is one you never have to leave," according to Jackson.
To prove the point, Jackson tours home designed by Lennar in Elk Grove, California, just outside of Sacramento. But the article also expands to larger themes such as the defining characteristics of home construction and ownership ten years after the Great Recession.
FULL STORY: The New American Dream Home Is One You Never Have to Leave

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving
Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.

Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan
Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.

Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding
The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.
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