A program aimed at boosting local homeownership offers city residents entry into a lottery to purchase city-owned properties for $1.

City officials in Newark, New Jersey, raffled off seven city-owned properties for just one dollar on Monday, January 29 — the first round of a program looking to boost homeownership among existing city residents, reports Eyewitness News, ABC7NY. Newark has one of the lowest percentages of homeownership of any major American city.
To qualify for the “Home Ownership Revitalization Program,” potential buyers must have lived in the city for at least five years or be residents displaced by gentrification. They must also commit to living in the properties for at least 10 years and undergo homebuyer counseling with the Neighborhood Assistance Corp of America (NACA), which provides low interest mortgages to help people become homeowners.
The properties, which were seized by the city for non-payment and public debts, are dilapidated and will require extensive repairs. City officials hope the new owners will rehabilitate them into multifamily homes.
“"It's more than affordable homeownership," said Bruce Marks of the NACA, the article reports. "It's neighborhood stabilization.”
FULL STORY: Newark holds first lottery to pick residents who can buy houses for $1

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?

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

Placekeeping: Setting a New Precedent for City Planners
How a preservation-based approach to redevelopment and urban design can prevent displacement and honor legacy communities.

San Diego Swaps Parking Lane for Kid-Friendly Mini Park
The block-long greenway will feature interactive play equipment and landscaping.

Tracking the Invisible: Methane Leaks From LA’s Neighborhood Oil Sites
Environmental advocates are using infrared technology to monitor and document methane leaks from neighborhood oil sites, filling regulatory gaps and pushing for stronger protections to safeguard community health and the climate.

Montana Bill Promotes Parking Reform
A bill before the Montana state senate would bar cities from requiring more than one parking spot per new housing unit.
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.
Caltrans
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland