Affordable Housing

Seattle Mixed Use Development

Seattle NIMBYs Protest Dense Development, Cite Eastern Bloc

A zoning bill has stirred up the fear that dense development projects will transform Seattle into a "Soviet cityscape." Residents accuse developers of using loopholes to squeeze in pricey, out-of-character townhomes.

June 23, 2015 - The Seattle Times

trax light rail train in foreground, snow-covered mountains in background

Affordable Housing Follows Good Transit

More raw housing stock is only the first step. Without comprehensive transit, the value of density can't extend beyond the city center.

June 22, 2015 - Grist

How Landlords Segregate Neighborhoods

Exploring the persistence of racial segregation as a result of U.S. housing policies—policies intended to break patterns of segregation, not reproduce them.

June 10, 2015 - The Atlantic

Seattle Searching for Answers on Affordable Housing

The city of Seattle has a stated goal of creating 30,000 new market rate housing units and 20,000 new or newly rent-restricted units in the city in the next 10 years. How to do so is the question currently before local officials.

June 10, 2015 - The Seattle Times

Ribbon Cutting Red Tape

Ask the Ethicist: Making Room in the Development Review Pipeline for Social Justice

The latest installment of Planetizen's "Ask the Ethicist" series features the advice of our resident expert: Carol D. Barrett, FAICP, author of "Everyday Ethics for Practicing Planners."

May 28, 2015 - Carol Barrett

An Aggressive Pitch to Bail out New York City's Public Housing

Mayor Bill De Blasio released an aggressive and likely contentious plan to fund the New York Housing Authority, which is currently sitting on $16 billion in needed maintenance work.

May 20, 2015 - The New York Times

How D.C.'s Department of Housing and Community Development Will Tackle Housing Challenges

Aaron Wiener interviews Polly Donaldson—the recently hired head the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) in Washington, D.C.—about her strategies for improving housing in the Nation's Capital.

May 16, 2015 - Washington City Paper

Golden Gate

Affordable Housing Strikes Back

Has George Lucas discovered the ultimate anti-NIMBY weapon? Hint: It's not a lightsaber

May 6, 2015 - Rooflines

Section 8 Kids

Welcome To Our Neighborhood: A Manifesto for Inclusivity

Housing policy is not just about houses, it is also about people, and the determination of who may live in a community. We challenge communities to proclaim, “Yes in our backyard! We welcome new neighbors. We favor more diversity.”

May 4, 2015 - Todd Litman

Seattle Waterfront Condos

Focus on Affordability at APA National Conference

For all the discussion about affordable housing at the APA National Conference in Seattle last week, clear solutions have yet to emerge. Polycentric regional planning is one long-term goal.

April 28, 2015 - CityLab

Arizona Suburb

Sun Belt Remains Destination of Choice for Migrants

Census Bureau data indicates that the shift to Sun Belt suburbs is still the majority preference. Turns out warmth, jobs, and affordable housing are a powerful triumvirate.

April 28, 2015 - The New York Times

How Community Benefit Programs Create Value-Added Growth and Protect Public Resources

With redevelopment funding no longer an option, South San Francisco and other cities increasingly are looking to a community benefits platform, according to Murtaza Baxamusa, a planner and urban planning professor.

April 28, 2015 - UrbDeZine

Will Expenses in Coastal Cities Lead to Northeast Ohio's Resurgence?

Joel Kotkin recently waded into the conversation about that it will take to return Legacy Cities into the prosperity of former years.

April 26, 2015 - The Plain Dealer

Oregon Capitol

Oregon Moves to Lift Inclusionary Zoning Ban

By a vote split (nearly) down the party line, the Oregon House passed a bill to end state restrictions on inclusionary zoning. Municipalities may soon be able to require below-market pricing.

April 24, 2015 - Bike Portland

Op-Ed: End the Excuses for Lack of Housing Construction

An op-ed in the Boston Globe argues that the endless negotiations over new residential developments—including over the inclusion of affordable housing units—hurts the city's housing market.

April 23, 2015 - Boston Globe

For Rent

Airbnb and Affordable Housing

Does apartment-sharing reduce regional housing supply? Probably not very much.

April 21, 2015 - Michael Lewyn

Homelessness

Seattle's Homeless Population Is Booming Too

While rates of homelessness drop elsewhere, tents and cardboard are becoming a very regular sight in Seattle. New wealth and newly unaffordable housing may be twin culprits.

April 15, 2015 - NPR

Queens New York

Iconic Queens Clock Tower Anchors 915-Foot Skyscraper

In a complex saga involving the MTA, an 88-year-old tower, and a planned 77-story apartment behemoth, affordable housing may be first to fall by the wayside.

April 11, 2015 - New York Times

Can Seattle Build 20,000 Affordable Units in 10 Years?

Frank Chiachiere provides some advice on how Seattle can achieve its ambitious goals for affordable housing over the next decade: build transit to places where land is less expensive.

April 10, 2015 - Seattle Transit Blog

Santa Monica

Report: Coastal Los Angeles Will Likely Remain Unaffordable

Los Angeles home prices have long since skyrocketed above median income. A report by the Legislative Analyst's Office shows how difficult it would be to build L.A. out of its predicament.

March 29, 2015 - Curbed LA

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.

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100 Most Influential Urbanists

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Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.