January 8, 2014

Beyond Bricks and Sticks





A weekly digest of current trends in housing and community development. The discussion examines topics from infrastructure to community fabric.

The business case for compact cities and towns

(RECAP: Innovation and access to good employees -- two reasons why businesses are choosing to locate in walkable downtowns and towns centers.)
http://bettercities.net/article/business-case-compact-cities-and-towns-20897


The Quest to Create Standards for Affordable Homeownership

(RECAP: The goal of developing “Stewardship Standards” is to gain insights into best practices that affordable homeownership programs are undertaking across the country and translate those insights into standards.)
http://www.rooflines.org/3555/the_quest_to_create_standards_for_affordable_homeownership/


Street Furniture for ‘Sitable’ Cities 

(RECAP: Street furniture is a broad term that encompasses everything from benches to traffic signals, and you’ve likely encountered many examples without even realizing it.) 
http://www.newgeography.com/content/004110-street-furniture-sitable-cities


Breaking Down the Barriers to Affordable Housing

(RECAP: Cities and towns that thrive are those with a good balance of owners and renters. By addressing financial and regulatory barriers, cities may be able to reverse the affordable housing shortfall in time for the surge of Millennials.)
http://www.governing.com/columns/urban-notebook/gov-breaking-down-the-barriers-to-affordable-housing.html


The Health Risks of Small Apartments

(RECAP: As New York City’s “micro-apartment” project inches closer to reality, experts warn that micro-living may not be the urban panacea we’ve been waiting for. For some residents, the potential health risks and crowding challenges might outweigh the benefits of affordable housing.)
http://www.theatlanticcities.com/housing/2013/12/health-risks-small-apartments/7929/

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