Supply and Demand

Vacancies Come in All Forms, Even New Affordable Apartments in Brooklyn

A 298-unit, 18-story tower in Pacific Park Brooklyn opened its doors to new renters in various categories of affordability over five months ago. 27% remain empty in the higher income tiers, and unlike market-rate units, the asking rent won't drop.

November 26, 2017 - The New York Times

Alamo Square

Video: The Housing Market as a Game of 'Cruel Musical Chairs'

The Sightline Institute has created an explainer video to make a supply-side argument in favor of new housing developments—even new market rate housing developments.

November 17, 2017 - Sightline Institute

Apartment Construction

Rents Drop for the Second Consecutive Quarter in Washington, D.C.

A large amount of new rental units have come online in recent months in Washington, D.C., and the housing market has seen a surprising amount of upheaval as a result.

October 16, 2017 - Bisnow Washington D.C.

New York Manhattan Chinatown

Glut of New Rentals Expected to Reset the New York City Market

When vacancy rates rise, rents should fall. In New York, reports disagree about how much vacancy rates are about to increase, and whether rents will drop at all.

August 4, 2017 - The Wall Street Journal

Hope VI Housing

Op-Ed: To Lower Housing Costs, Make it Cheaper and Easier to Build Housing

The argument in the headline, put more specifically: inclusionary zoning, fees, legal challenges, and minimum apartment sizes are counter-productive. The only policy that will add housing stock, is to make it much cheaper to add housing stock.

July 25, 2017 - Sightline Institute

Old Skool

Could Baby Boomers Make Room for Millennials?

Baby boomers own homes, lots of them, with empty rooms, lots of them.

July 21, 2017 - Trulia

San Francisco Houses

Report: Demand, Not Market-Rate Supply, Drives Housing Prices in San Francisco

The Urban Institute takes a detailed look at San Francisco's real estate market, where most home sales top $1 million, revealing that old units are far more likely to attract top dollar.

June 5, 2017 - Urban Institute

San Francisco Mural

'Plansplaining' and its Discontents

Yes, planners have expertise to share, but according to this rather pointed critique, they also sometimes forget that other people do too.

May 22, 2017 - CityLimits.org

facades of victorian style residences in San Francisco

Land Prices and New Housing

Some commentators argue that even if cities allow housing supply to expand, more permissive zoning will cause land prices to increase, causing rents to rise rather than fall. This post disagrees.

March 28, 2017 - Michael Lewyn

California

San Diego Doubled Housing Units Downtown and Rents Still Increased

San Diego invested $1.5 billion in tax increment to increase housing in its downtown but displaced affordable housing with unaffordable housing. Housing planner, developer and advocate, Murtaza Baxamusa gives some answers and asks some questions.

March 3, 2017 - UrbDeZine

Dublin River Liffey

The Curious Case of the Irish Housing Market

In Ireland, there's one house for every 2.35 people. According to industry experts, that's twice as many vacant homes as a normal, healthy market should have. So why then is the country considered to be in a housing crisis?

February 17, 2017 - The Irish Times

Image of transit oriented development around Union Station in Denver.

In Denver: Rents Drop as Record Numbers of Units Enter the Market

The number of apartments in Denver has skyrocketed. Meanwhile, the cost of rent is plummeting. Expect to hear this example cited by YIMBYs many times in the coming months.

January 27, 2017 - The Denver Post

Construction

A Pro-Development Argument in the Great Housing Debate

In the ongoing and contentious debate about whether market-rate development is a cure or a disease, another writer comes down on the side of more supply, no matter the cost.

December 11, 2016 - Bloomberg

For Rent

Rising Rents, Stagnant Economy

Since the 1970s, many American cities have played host to rising rents and stagnant incomes. Richard Florida writes about how the "great rent squeeze" might be choking the country's economic prospects.

November 30, 2016 - CityLab

Seattle Sailboats

Debunking Seattle's 'Housing Shortage'

A post examining common responses to the question of why the cost of housing continues to rise requires a frank discussion about the nature of Seattle's "housing shortage."

November 25, 2016 - The Urbanist

Houston, Construction

Vacancies Define the Houston Office Market in 2016

Industries over leased and developers over built. The city of Houston's office market has gone from boom to bust in only a few years.

November 9, 2016 - The Wall Street Journal

Brooklyn Construction

Brooklyn Housing Supply Begins to Match Demand

About 6,500 apartments in 19 towers within 10 square blocks on Flatbush Avenue are expected to be available within two years, but don't expect rents to plunge. Renters should look for perks like one or more months of free rent.

August 31, 2016 - The New York Times

Seattle

Debating Seattle's Growth

There's plenty to talk about in a city where rents have increased by 51 percent since 2010.

August 12, 2016 - Publicola

San Francisco View from Dolores Park

San Francisco Apartment Supply Catching up to Demand, If only Temporarily

If you can afford it, now would be a good time to move to San Francisco and rent in a new, high-end apartment building. Rents will still be among the highest in the country, but property owners are offering many perks.

June 16, 2016 - San Francisco Chronicle

Boston COnstruction

A Dissenting View of the 'Build Baby Build' Agenda in Boston

The Boston Globe casts doubt on the idea that large amounts of new housing in Boston will be able to reduce already high housing prices in the city.

June 15, 2016 - The Boston Globe

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.

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