Construction Costs
To Reach Goals, L.A. Looks to New Ways to Build Homeless Housing
Los Angeles is grappling with the rising costs of building housing for homeless people. Rethinking the standard process is a way to save time and money.
Construction Materials Increasing Building Costs
With the price of steel increasing significantly since the beginning of the year, the construction industry has little choice but to build through a more expensive process.
San Francisco Bay Area's Rail Transit Projects Among the Most Expensive in the World
The problem of expensive transit investments isn't unique to New York City.
California to Require Solar on New Residential Buildings
The California Energy Commission will decide on new energy standards for residential construction this week.
The Other Affordable Housing Trend in Oregon: Construction Excise Taxes
Inclusionary zoning hasn't helped as much as the state of Oregon was hoping when it passed a law to lift restrictions on the policy in 2016. Construction excise taxes could be the next policy to catch on around the state.
Lowering the High Costs of Transit Investments
A new report from the Regional Plan Association identifies the nature of the problem with the New York MTA's construction costs, and recommends 11 possible solutions.
One Obstacle to ADU Construction in California: The Price of Permits
The price of a permit to build an accessory dwelling units in the city of Thousand Oaks in Southern California is prohibitive—putting the permitting fee in opposition to the stated intent of the city's zoning code and state law.
Costs Jump on Central Valley Section of California High-Speed Rail
Costs for the initial construction segment, 119 miles from Madera to just outside Bakersfield, jumped $2.8 billion in what the consultant called the "worst-case scenario," to $10.6 billion, or over $89 million per mile.
An Investigation of New York's Record Shattering Subway Construction Costs
The New York Times devotes feature-length coverage to the soaring costs of subway construction in New York City, where the cost of construction has reached as high as seven times the average around the world.
High Rents: Are Construction Costs the Culprit?
Rejecting the common argument that cities can never be affordable because of high construction costs.
Study: It's the Land That's Making Housing Expensive
A new study explains why so many small homes have such a massive price tag in desirable coastal areas: It's not the coast of building; it's the value of the land.
Free Falling: Productivity of U.S. Construction Industry Half of 1960s Level
While productivity improves in almost every sector of the U.S. economy, it's dropping quickly in the construction industry.
Nation's Tallest Wood Building Coming Soon to Portland
Portland, Oregon lives up to its reputation as a testing ground for urbanism innovation by approving what will become the nation's tallest wood framed building.
Long-Delayed Silver Spring Transit Center Opens Sunday
Four years behind schedule and $50 million over budget, the Silver Spring Transit Center will be open to bus business on September 20, 2015. Eventually, light rail will also serve the location.
Pricetag for MBTA's Green Line Extension Jumps $1 Billion
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is scrambling to resolve a major cost overrun for the planned Green Line extension—in peril is potential rail service to one of the most densely populated cities in the country.
Bay Bridge Construction Woes Raise Earthquake Safety Concerns
One of the reasons for the $6.4 billion investment in the new eastern span of the Bay Bridge was to ensure the safety of the bridge in the even of a large earthquake.
Construction-Defects Law Troubles Developers in Colorado
Aldo Svaldi reports on the beginnings of a condo boom in Denver, which faces risks of legal setbacks in the "litigious environment" created by Colorado's controversial construction-defects law.
Report: Caltrans Systematically Quelled Bay Bridge Safety Concerns
Instagram images and group bike rides now celebrate the Bay Bridge’s eastern span, but the bridge’s long construction process was a constant source of concern. A new report details what went wrong to (hopefully) prevent future mistakes.
How to Make Housing Affordable
Avi Friedman has some ideas of how to make housing more affordable. He says that the focus is too much on the mortgage and subsidies side and not enough on lower building costs.
Spain's Immigrants Offered Payouts to Leave After Construction Bust
Spain's booming construction industry was fuelled by immigrant workers, who were encouraged to come to Spain. The economic crisis has now stalled many of those construction projects.
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.
Jessamine County Fiscal Court
Caltrans
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
