Housing construction

Surf’s Upcycling: Hawai‘i’s Latest Green Building Material is Recycled Surf Boards
“Surf Blocks” are fire-resistant, termite-proof, and close the loop on mountains of waste from the state’s beloved sport.

Over 71K Office-to-Apartment Units in the Pipeline for 2025
Adaptive reuse projects are continuing to bring thousands of new housing units onto the market as demand for office space remains low.

Robotaxi Charging Lots Could Complicate San Francisco Housing Development
Multiple sites slated for housing development are now being turned into charging and storage lots for autonomous vehicles, making housing an unintended victim of the robotaxi revolution.

Feds Annouce $100 Million for Housing and Zoning Reform Programs
The program is aimed at helping local and state governments spur housing construction by reducing regulatory barriers.

San Francisco Must Streamline Permitting Process
After failing to meet state targets for housing production, the city must create a shorter permitting process under a 2023 state law.

Explaining the Housing Market via Footwear
What the shoe industry can teach us about the housing crisis.

The Rise of Zoning Reform
As the housing affordability crisis spread from mainly coastal cities to the rest of the nation, cities and states are taking a serious look at outdated zoning codes that hamper efforts to build more housing.

Seattle Council Rejects Transportation Impact Fee
Councilmembers who opposed the proposal say the fee would have slowed housing development and raised housing costs.

Parking Reform is Sweeping the Country. Does it Work?
A new study shows a significant reduction in housing construction costs in cities that have reduced or eliminated minimum parking requirements.

California Impact Fees Reach Supreme Court
An upcoming ruling could have a major impact on building and development in California and around the country.

Fairfax County Approves Parking Reform
The new parking policy creates a new, tiered framework for parking requirements and reduces the required number of parking spots near transit.

Post-Pandemic Home Building Trends: More Bedrooms, Smaller Homes
U.S. homes are adding bedrooms while getting smaller, according to two seemingly contradictory articles published on the same day from different data sources earlier this month.

An Argument for Uniform Pre-Fab Construction Standards
Industry leaders say a national set of standards for off-site construction of modular housing would boost the affordable housing stock and make construction faster.

Report: Why It Costs so Much to Build Housing in Austin
The study highlights high real estate costs as well as restrictive zoning regulations and building requirements that delay multi-family construction.

The Relationship Between Rents and Housing Supply
Despite a strong belief in market forces in many other aspects of the economy, many Americans don’t see a correlation between housing supply and housing costs.

Austin Could Reduce Minimum Lot Sizes
In an effort to increase housing production and bring down housing costs, the city council approved a resolution calling for reduced lot sizes and higher density in single-family neighborhoods.

Austin Council Proposes Multi-Family Affordable Housing Program
The proposal would permit larger buildings on single-family lots.

Vacant Lot Development Could Bring 100,000 New Housing Units to Dallas
Building on the roughly 76 million square feet of vacant land already zoned for multifamily housing could create badly needed rental housing units and slow the growth of rent prices.

New Yorkers Need Land. NYPD is Sitting on Nearly 150 Lots.
A new map reveals how much land in New York City is being wasted by city police—often sitting vacant, rather than serving the public good.

Backlash to San Francisco Development Spotlights City’s Conflicting Priorities
Residents of the Bayview neighborhood say they support new housing, but object to a proposed building that would replace one of the area’s only green spaces.
Pagination
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.
Borough of Carlisle
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