In contrast to much of the United States, where home sizes are growing again following the recession, developers in Southern California are increasingly building attached homes - reversing the region's history of single-family sprawl.
"Faced with a dearth of developable land, home builders across Southern California are cramming more houses into less space," observes Conor Dougherty. "Many are dispensing with the single-family homes that have defined the region's development for half a century (Exhibit A: 'The Brady Bunch'). In their place they are building somewhat smaller structures in the form of townhouses or pairs of homes that share one wall."
"Rising home and land prices are driving the shift toward attached houses, but they aren't the only factors," he continues. "Many home buyers are willing to trade a smaller structure for a shorter commute to work."
FULL STORY: Land Crunch Hits Builders in 'Brady Bunch' Country
Connecticut Assembly to Reconsider TOD Bill
The ‘Work, Live, Ride’ bill would prioritize funding for designated transit-oriented zones to encourage denser development near transit.
Study: Single-Staircase Buildings Pose No Additional Risks
Zoning codes have long prohibited single-stair residential buildings due to safety concerns, but changing that could lower the cost of construction and allow for more flexible housing designs.
The Key Role of Row Houses in Philadelphia and Baltimore
The row house is ubiquitous in the two cities, but their policies on design and preservation vary widely.
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