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Communities
Here you’ll find articles on some of the broader forces that affect the physical communities we live in, questions about what makes a community and who gets to live there, and explorations of the ways people try to shape and reclaim control over their communities.
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Does Cleveland’s Plan for Public Green Space Pave the Way for Gentrification?
Who gets to benefit from neighborhood revitalization efforts, and at what cost?
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Boston Organizers Protect Individual Tenants, While Trying to Change the System
City Life/Vida Urbana is known for successful tenant union organizing and anti-eviction actions, but every individual action springs from a larger vision of system and policy change.
Tenant Protections 101
Tenant advocates have long been pushing for a “tenants bill of rights” to codify rules that protect renters from landlords. Here’s a rundown of the top protections housing justice activists say need to be included.
Top 6 Tenant Protections Renters Are Fighting For
Tenants are organizing together with increased urgency to get legal protections passed in their towns, cities, and states. What are the top protections tenants are fighting for?
New Philly Land Trust Was Promised Dozens of Homes; How’s It Going?
Two years ago, Philadelphia officials agreed to give 59 vacant buildings to homeless advocates. The historic deal has faced several setbacks, but is still moving forward.
How to Retrofit the Housing Economy
Are policy changes enough to address the housing problems we face?
The Financialization of Housing and Its Implications for Community Development
Over the last two decades homeowners and investors have increasingly treated housing as a financial asset, like stocks or bonds. How has this changed the housing market for the worse, and how can we fix it?
Two Paths to Density: Profit vs People
As communities across the country begin promoting density to address the affordable housing crisis, they must grapple with how that housing will be built, and for whom.
Affordable ADUs: How It’s Being Done
In the face of limited financing options, local governments, nonprofits, and social enterprises are experimenting with ways to make affordable ADUs a reality.
Are Urban Planners Staying Silent on Climate Gentrification?
Holmdel, New Jersey, moved its affordable housing to flood-prone land, raising a question about planners’ ethical obligations to speak up against such moves.
ADUs: Laws and Uses, Do’s and Don’ts
As ADUs gain national attention, cities are searching for the best ways to legalize their development and encourage construction.
Better, Faster, Cheaper Ways to Finance Supportive Housing
A few cities in the U.S. are addressing homelessness by experimenting with different financing vehicles that are helping to preserve and construct more supportive housing.
From an Abandoned Mall to Bustling Community Hub
A medical complex in Mississippi draws on local artists to go beyond doctors’ offices and become a gathering place for those living nearby.