Housing Supply

Downtown Houston, Texas

Houston is Building a Record Numbers of Homes, but Housing Costs Still Rising

Despite a banner year in construction permitting, Houston area rents and home prices continue to grow.

February 14, 2023 - Rice Kinder Institute for Urban Research

A map showing proposed zones for future development in the city of Rochester, New York.

APA Releases ‘Equity in Zoning’ Guide

The guide provides a framework for assessing and improving equity in housing policy.

February 9, 2023 - American Planning Association

View of downtown San Francisco from top of windy street at sunset with Coit Tower in distance

San Francisco Housing Plan Gets State Approval

The city cleared a major hurdle as its housing plan, which paves the way for 82,000 new homes by 2030, is certified by the state.

February 8, 2023 - KALW

Spanish-style State Street commercial buildings in downtown Santa Barbara, California

Santa Barbara Expands ADU Program to Boost Housing

The city hopes that permitting larger ADUs and making adaptive reuse easier will help it meet its state-mandated goal of building over 8,000 new housing units by 2031.

February 7, 2023 - Noozhawk

Colorful waterfront homes in Maine finshing village

Maine Housing Market Tightens as New, Younger Residents Move In

State leaders see the influx of younger residents as a boon to Maine’s economy, but this could come at the expense of affordable housing.

February 7, 2023 - Chicago News Cooperative/The New York Times

Aerial view of residential neighborhood in La Habra, California at sunset

Orange County Project Could Go Forward Under ‘Builder’s Remedy’

The nation’s largest home builder could receive approval for a 530-unit development under an obscure state law as the city of La Habra’s zoning laws hang in limbo after the state rejected its proposed housing plan.

February 2, 2023 - Orange County Register

Construction site with 4-story apartment buildings in progress

Survey: Most Mayors Fail to Link Zoning and Homelessness

Despite the powerful impact of local land use and zoning policies on housing costs and supply, many U.S. mayors believe they have little control over homelessness in their cities.

January 31, 2023 - Governing

Gray houses under construction

APA Announces New ‘Housing Supply Accelerator’ in Partnership with the National League of Cities

The American Planning Association and the National League of Cities have announced a new partnership to find and implement solutions to the national housing affordability crisis.

January 26, 2023 - American Planning Association

View of downtown Seattle across a body of water with colorful houses in the foreground

Op-Ed: Seattle’s ADU Rules Leave Long-Term Renters Out in the Cold

One resident argues that adding a unit for long-term rental is too expensive and difficult, especially when compared to the city’s ‘super easy’ process for permitting a short-term or vacation rental.

January 24, 2023 - The Seattle Times

Quincy Market

Boston Mayor Fights for Rent Control

Mayor Wu says putting a rent control policy in place is just one of several ways the city plans to improve housing affordability and prevent evictions, but the proposal requires state approval.

January 24, 2023 - The Boston Globe

Aerial view of dense single-family homes in neighborhood still under construction

How Virginia Counties Use Zoning to Stifle Development

Some state legislators are proposing action at the state level as counties block development using zoning and development requirements even as housing prices rise sharply in the region.

January 23, 2023 - The Virginia Mercury

Aerial view of Bend, Oregon with river and old mill district

Bend Eliminates Parking Minimums

The city is complying with an Oregon state mandate that some cities have challenged in court.

January 20, 2023 - KTVZ

Aerial view of Decatur, Georgia with cloudy sky

Decatur Moves Closer to Legalizing Duplexes, ‘Missing Middle Housing’

A proposal to permit multifamily housing units in areas previously zoned for single-family homes passed its first hurdle, but requires a second vote to go into effect.

January 19, 2023 - Decaturish

Aerial view of homes with downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin in background

Report: Wisconsin Zoning Rules Hold Back Housing Production

Updating zoning regulations would help the state meet its housing goals and encourage the construction of a broader variety of housing types.

January 16, 2023 - Wisconsin Public Radio

View of Washington state capitol building dome from across lake with green trees in foreground and grey cloudy sky

Washington’s Proposed Housing Bills, Explained

The 2023 Washington state legislature will evaluate a slew of proposals aimed at increasing housing supply and affordability.

January 15, 2023 - Crosscut

Buildings on Wall Street, New York City

NYC Mayor Proposes Office Conversion Plan

Proposed zoning updates that would make it easier to convert office buildings in commercial districts to housing and other uses could yield up to 20,000 new housing units in the next decade.

January 12, 2023 - Gothamist

RTA train at above-ground platform in Cleveland, Ohio

Study: Cuyahoga County Suburbs Ready for TOD

The growth of transit-oriented development in the Cleveland region is being hindered by zoning codes that limit housing density and excessive parking requirements that drive up construction costs, new research suggests.

January 8, 2023 - Cleveland.com

Google Street View of modern multistory apartment building in Washington, D.C.

D.C. Nonprofit Aims to Preserve Affordable Housing

A luxury apartment building acquired by the Washington Housing Conservancy will be converted into 212 rent-stabilized housing units for middle-income workers.

January 2, 2023 - WTOP

Row Houses at 48th between Walton and Cedar, West Philadelphia

New Short-Term Rental Rules to Take Effect in Philadelphia

The new rules are an attempt to get a handle on the short-term rental industry, which, due in part to little enforcement of existing regulations, has yielded ‘bad actors.’

January 1, 2023 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

New York Housing

Op-Ed: New York Needs a Needs a Housing Breakthrough

The region has taken some steps to address the critical housing shortage, but alleviating the crisis requires a more comprehensive, statewide effort to build new housing, increase affordability, and prevent displacement.

January 1, 2023 - City and State New York

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

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