2 College Towns Leading the Way on Land-Use Reform

Although they stand in very different parts of the country, these college towns are spearheading the push to eliminate harmful, longstanding land-use policies.

Spokane Opens the Door for Middle Housing Expansion

Last week, the city council of Spokane, WA, voted on a truly “bold, transformational package” that will allow for more forms of missing-middle housing and infill development in the city.

Is Wall Street Actually Taking Over the Housing Market?

Are Wall Street-backed investors the reason you can’t afford a house? The truth is a bit more complicated than that.

Housing, Herriges, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesJuly 27, 2022housing, housing cost, housing crisis, Housing Crisis, housing market, homeowners, Homeownership, homeownership

Affordable Housing in Oregon Is About To Catch a Big Break From Parking Mandates

Finally, homes for people will no longer be conditional on car parking.

Housing, Parking, Top StoryCatie GouldJuly 13, 2022parking minimums, parking, End Parking Mandates and Subsidies, affordable housing, housing, housing cost, housing crisis, Housing Crisis, Housing, housing policy, housing affordability, zoning, Oregon

Love the One You’re With

When you’re not allowed to build the kind of housing you want, sometimes you have to work with what’s already here.

Housing, Sanphillippo, Top StoryJohnny SanphillippoJuly 7, 2022housing, housing affordability, housing cost, housing crisis, Housing, housing market, housing policy, Homeownership, homeownership, home, Wisconsin, Granola Shotgun, zoning, Incremental Housing

State Preemption: A Means To Reform Zoning, or a Threat to Localism?

State preemption is a controversial issue in the planning world—but what’s the Strong Towns stance on it?

Upzoned, Podcast, Top Story, Housing, ZoningStrong TownsJune 29, 2022Podcast, podcast, Upzoned, state government, local government, Municipalism, housing, zoning, affordable housing, housing affordability, housing activism

An Epidemic of Blight Collides With a Pandemic

In Detroit's 48205 zip code, from 2014 to 2020, the number of vacant homes hardly budged, despite $25M spent demolishing 1,628 vacant homes. When the pandemic hit, vacant homes plummeted. What happened?

Housing, Top StoryAlex AlsupJune 28, 2022housing, housing affordability, homeowners, Homeownership, homeownership, housing crisis, Housing Crisis, housing market, blight, Detroit, housing policy

Looking for an Affordable Starter Home? HUD Suggests Trying a Manufactured Home.

Manufactured homes were promoted at the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s 2022 Innovative Housing Showcase. Could this be a viable affordable housing option?

Upzoned, Podcast, Top Story, HousingStrong TownsJune 22, 2022Podcast, podcast, Upzoned, housing, housing market, accessory dwelling units, affordable housing, housing affordability, federal government

NIMBY: Hero, Villain, or None of the Above?

This week’s Upzoned episode reflects on how the nuances of housing policy don’t lend themselves to broad stereotypes.

Upzoned, Podcast, Top Story, HousingStrong TownsJune 15, 2022Podcast, podcast, Upzoned, housing, Housing, housing market, NIMBY, neighborhood change, YIMBY

A Parallel Option: Social Housing (Part 3)

Social housing is not a silver bullet, but can be part of a broader vision for a fairer and more responsive housing market.

Herriges, HousingDaniel HerrigesJune 15, 2022housing, housing cost, housing affordability, housing crisis, Housing Crisis, Housing, housing policy, co-housing, social housing series

Legalizing Incremental Change—Everywhere—To Meet America’s Housing Needs

For too long, our housing policy has put investor returns and macroeconomic goals over the universal human need for shelter. The Strong Towns approach to incremental housing is a badly needed corrective.

Inflation or Lower Housing Values: Pick Your Cleanest Dirty Shirt?

The Fed’s pandemic actions to loosen up capital unseized a market and fueled a housing boom—but now, a potential opposite reaction could lose U.S. taxpayers billions and be bad for housing.

Upzoned, Podcast, Top Story, HousingStrong TownsJune 8, 2022Podcast, podcast, Upzoned, Federal Reserve, housing, Housing, housing market, Inflation

What Is a Housing Shortage, Anyway?

Everyone’s heard of the housing shortage…so why is the “shortage” part of that phrase so poorly defined?

Housing, Herriges, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesJune 1, 2022housing, housing affordability, housing crisis, Housing Crisis, housing activism

The Bottom-Up Revolution Is...Uniting For-Profits and Nonprofits to End Homelessness

Beth Silverman is working on a non-traditional—and very successful—approach to housing affordability.

Podcast, The Bottom-Up Revolution, Success Story, Top Story, HousingStrong TownsMay 26, 2022Podcast, The Bottom-Up Revolution, developers, landlords, homelessness

Social Housing and the Strong Towns Approach (Part 2)

Why isn’t social housing the silver bullet it's sometimes sold as, and what it would take to be successful? (Hint: You still have to fix the market.)

Herriges, Housing, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesMay 26, 2022housing, housing cost, housing affordability, housing crisis, Housing Crisis, Housing, housing policy, co-housing, social housing series

Corporate Investors Own Nearly Half of This City's Residential Property

What does this case study imply for housing in the U.S., as a whole?

Upzoned, Podcast, Top Story, HousingStrong TownsMay 25, 2022Podcast, podcast, Upzoned, housing, housing crisis, Housing Crisis, housing market, Housing, housing policy, Homeownership, homeownership

CityNerd: Which Affordable, Walkable City Should You Move To?

This week’s CityNerd takes you on a tour of 10 cities you might not expect to be the most affordable, livable, walkable, and transit-friendly places in America.

Housing, Video, Top StoryJay StangeMay 25, 2022housing, housing affordability, housing cost, Housing, CityNerd, cities

Social Housing and the Strong Towns Approach (Part 1)

Forget what you've heard; this isn't your granddad's social housing.

Herriges, Housing, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesMay 25, 2022housing, housing cost, housing affordability, housing crisis, Housing Crisis, Housing, housing policy, co-housing, social housing series

Wealth and Buildings

In the realm of urban planning, there’s plenty of discourse out there about housing affordability—but what about household wealth building?

Housing, Suburban Experiment, Urban Design, Planning Profession, Top StoryKevin KlinkenbergMay 23, 2022Kevin Klinkenberg, housing, housing affordability, finance, housing finance, Homeownership, homeownership, urban planning, urbanism, suburbs, suburban experiment, suburbanization

Tyranny Won’t Get Us More Housing

Perceived threats to a home's value often prompt homeowners to shut down any discussion about neighborhood changes. But eliminating opportunities for such reactions isn’t helpful, either.