Housing and Urban Issues
Stresses on urban communities continue to affect housing, food security, child services, homelessness, business development and crime. Coverage includes stories about new solutions to how cities are run, how they develop as urban centers and about the people who live there.
The plug was pulled five years ago on a Google plan to build a digitally connected neighborhood in Toronto. The innovative opportunities it suggested — and the privacy questions it raised — have not gone away.
Housing costs were rising faster than income before historic inflation made things worse. The CEO of Habitat for Humanity blueprints what local governments can do to ease the current crisis.
The city’s controversial anti-crime unit will return to Staten Island’s North Shore with a new name, new uniforms complete with body cameras, and new tech that uses facial recognition technology. But some still worry about the unit’s impacts.
New econometric analysis brings statistics to bear in support of common-sense conclusions that people can’t stay in neighborhoods if they don’t have homes.
It’s not a household name, but it’s a place with a distinct culture and a raft of economic opportunities.
Another $85 million will be allocated toward building a new federal courthouse, replacing the current one that was built in 1933 and no longer meets safety, prisoner security or accessibility requirements.
The Department of Veterans Affairs aims to get at least 1,500 homeless veterans in Los Angeles into permanent housing, and 38,000 nationally, by the end of the year, which would be 10 percent more veterans than in 2021.
Houston, Texas, has started deploying digital kiosks throughout the city. In addition to offering wayfinding services and municipal resources to residents and visitors, they also serve as Internet connectivity hubs.
The prison that was previously privately run will return to local government control in April and Warden Laura Williams’ background in behavioral health could help to bring a much-needed culture change.
Los Angeles gasoline prices are reaching record highs and the Metro has reduced costs to encourage riders, yet many still aren’t riding public transit for safety concerns. Violent crimes on the system rose 36 percent last year.
The federal funds provide an opportunity for cities to address and make tangible progress toward addressing the systemic inequities that have lingered for far too long.
Residents across the Maryland county are reporting instances in which they are forced to wait several minutes before they’re connected with a 911 operator. Improving call center retention and efficiency could help alleviate the issue.
We used to allow homeowners to operate commercial businesses on their property. By and large, it worked. We can do it again. Say hello to “accessory commercial units.”
A growing cadre of urban-design experts argues that there is a crucial connection between public health and the built environment. It’s a movement that has its roots in the 19th century.
The new federal money will go a lot further if communities pursue shared services and cross-jurisdictional solutions. Federal rules should be written to encourage bold regional experimentation.
A handful of Iowa communities and a group of Iowa State University researchers are trying to demonstrate that less can, in fact, be more, and small can, in fact, be vibrant.
Towns like Quincy, Ill., can be appealing to remote workers for the cheaper cost of living and community aspects of a small town. About 17 percent of workers reported moving away from their workplace since the pandemic’s start.
A survey found residents want police to write reports and be interviewed before being allowed to view body camera recordings. They also favor the immediate public release of videos showing police using deadly force.
Lawmakers heard public testimony on housing this week: some encouraging suburbs to site more-affordable units and others claiming that towns should be left alone to maintain local character. The state is one of the nation’s most-segregated.
Only a dozen of our big cities have as many people per square mile as the average U.S. city had seven decades ago. The ones that have done best have employed effective strategies.
To appreciate the craftsmanship in historic capitols, look up.
Research from Carnegie Mellon University shows how replacing short car trips with bike and scooter trips can lead to less congestion, but local areas need more micromobility infrastructure for this positive outcome.
The West Virginia House will vote this week on a bill that would allow non-utility electric generating facilities in any zoning district. While some say it would aid in economic development, others claim it takes away local control.
A system that uses radio waves to allow vehicles to communicate with each other and roadway amenities could help to reduce traffic deaths. But the FCC will eliminate funding to the industry in two years.
A study of 3,000 companies found a correlation between local ‘social capital’ – which measures such variables as voter turnout and census response rates – and more women on corporate boards.
A recent survey found that many people who had recently arrived in Tampa Bay had moved for the sunny weather or a job change, while many were leaving because of politics or to find better schools or cheaper services.
After the 2021 Childcare Census Survey found that 58 percent of respondents were not able to access center-based, family-based or school-based child-care programs. The mayor’s new office will be a one-stop shop for child-care services.
A deep partisan divide exists over the bill that would limit discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity in state schools, with 63 percent of Democrats against the measure while 54 percent of Republicans approve.
By focusing too much on innovative transportation options, like Zipcars, ride-sharing and scooters, the city has failed to meet the needs of its low-income residents who rely on public transit the most.
Ohio’s largest city has never attracted much national attention, but that is beginning to change.
The funding comes from the bipartisan infrastructure bill and will be used to clean nine “areas of concern” across the state that have damage from industrial pollution, development and agricultural runoff.
