Public Housing

Analyzing the Impacts of Choice Neighborhoods Grants

A new study examines the question of how to achieve neighborhood transformation through the Choice Neighborhoods federal grant program.

November 25, 2015 - Urban Institute

Survey: Residents of Public Housing Don't See the Benefits of Gentrification

Conventional planning think says that mixed-income development benefits low-income neighborhoods. But a survey finds that residents of public housing in New York don't agree—rather, they feel left behind by newcomers to the neighborhood.

October 21, 2015 - New York Daily News

Bed Stuy view

Problems With New York City's Temporary Shelter Program

With a surging homeless population, the city's cluster site program incentivizes slumlords and reduces the supply of affordable housing.

September 4, 2015 - The New York Times

New Orleans Streetcar

Two Narratives Collide in Post-Katrina New Orleans

“A narrative of rebirth, reform and success that coexists with a narrative of stasis, failure and unrealized dreams.”

August 28, 2015 - The New York Times

New York City Public Housing Project

Housing Choice Voucher Holders Still Face Barriers to Mobility

Voucher recipients live in slightly better neighborhoods than the average poor household, but they still live in economically and racially segregated neighborhoods with poor-performing schools.

August 24, 2015 - Brookings Institute

HUD Decides to Evict 'Over-Income' Public Housing Tenants

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has shifted its response to an audit finding tens of thousands "over-income" residents living in subsidized housing.

August 20, 2015 - The Washington Post

The Golden Age of Television's New Subject: Public Housing

A new miniseries on HBO, from the creators of the seminal series The Wire, will spend the next weeks addressing issues raised by public housing and desegregation in Yonkers during the 1980s.

August 17, 2015 - Vox

New Orleans Aerial

New Orleans Public Housing in Decade-Long Stall

In the aftermath of Katrina, President Obama's Choice Neighborhoods initiative promised thousands of new affordable units. But so far the Housing Authority of New Orleans hasn't proved up to the task.

July 6, 2015 - Next City

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

New York City Public Housing Project

NYC Public Housing Still in Grim Shape

Public housing doesn't suffer the derision that it used to, but housing agencies remain strapped. Critics and residents contend that the New York City Housing Authority, the largest landlord of them all, continues to let down the city's neediest.

April 17, 2015 - Pacific Standard

Project Housing

How a Philadelphia Mayoral Candidate Influenced U.S. Public Housing

Former HUD counsel and current Philadelphia mayoral contender Nelson Diaz laid the groundwork for "entrepreneurial" approaches to public housing. Whether the resulting projects were effective is up for debate.

March 10, 2015 - PlanPhilly

Seattle Tenants Force Public Housing Not To Raise Rent

Seattle tenants win in rejecting public housing's proposal to quadruple rent.

December 26, 2014 - Rooflines

Diggs Town

Back to Basics: the Diggs Town Public Housing Revitalization

Some of the most effective solutions in urban design involve the simplest design changes. Revitalizing public housing is difficult, but not impossible, as shown by Ray Gindroz and his team at Urban Design Associates in Norfolk, Virginia.

December 15, 2014 - Robert Freedman

Where D.C.'s 'New Communities' Public Housing Program Went Wrong

Washington D.C.'s New Communities program has failed to live up to its titular promise, according to a new report released by the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development.

September 11, 2014 - Washington City Paper

Lessons in Sprawl from an Abandoned Government Housing Program

The Mexican government built houses for five million citizens in the last decade, only to see those houses abandoned en masse after sprawling patterns out stretched demand.

September 10, 2014 - The New York Times

'Dire' Budget Shortfall at the New York City Housing Authority

Faced with shrinking federal spending on affordable housing and a strained housing market, the New York City Housing Authority is dealing with a massive budget shortfall and a massive wait list.

August 19, 2014 - The New York Times

Fences Make Bad Neighbors in Hamden, Connecticut

The ugly story of the fence between a public housing community called New Haven and the nearby "middle class" community of Hamden, Connecticut will soon be over, but not because Hamden suddenly gained enlightenment.

July 13, 2014 - New York Times

Massive Public Housing Project Endangered in Los Angeles

The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles had been counting on a $30 million Choice Neighborhoods federal grant to help fund a massive makeover for Jordan Downs—one of the most downtrodden sections of Watts in South Los Angeles.

March 19, 2014 - Los Angeles Times

30 Examples of Public Housing at its Best

At its best, public housing shouldn't just provide a roof and four walls, but utilize creative design to make low-cost buildings feel like high-quality homes. These 30 projects from across the world have found unique ways to meet that challenge.

November 27, 2013 - Best MSW Programs

A Mesmerizing Interactive History of the High-Rise

Told over four parts meant to evoke chapters in a storybook using films, photos, archive materials, text, and miniature games, this "Op-Doc" is a short masterclass in the 2,500-year global history of vertical living.

October 8, 2013 - The New York Times

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.