2016
"Housing development’s latest enemy: Bay Area construction unions"
Construction unions have traditionally been advocates for new development, for an obvious reason: It keeps their members employed.
That delicate alliance is now coming under threat. Angered by some developers’ attempts to use cheaper non-union labor, Bay Area construction unions have filed appeals challenging projects’ approvals and allied themselves with community groups who oppose the projects for different reasons.
...More"A new approach: Build steel modular housing units for the homeless"
From Oct 3, 2016
Tents, wooden sheds and RVs do not provide the kind of stable and supportive housing in which an individual or family in homelessness can begin to deal with the issues in their lives.
LIKE most Seattleites, I am alternately frustrated, incredulous and dismayed by the number of homeless individuals I encounter every day while walking, driving or just living my life in Seattle.
...More"Prefabs sprout"
Off-the-peg homes could solve a shortage of houses and builder
A CAVERNOUS factory just outside Leeds may point to a shake-up of Britain’s construction industry. The building, which covers an area equivalent to seven football pitches, has just been kitted out by Legal and General Homes, a wing of the insurance and pensions giant. In the new year it will start producing pre-manufactured, or “modular”, houses.
...More"U.S. As Land-Use Rule Rise, Economic Mobility Slows, Research Says"
Developer Patrick Kennedy wants to build apartments for middle-class families near San Francisco’s Financial District, but he is struggling to win the city’s approval. The problem: in one spot the building’s courtyard is 5 feet too narrow.
Mr. Kennedy said his efforts constantly run up against such obstacles, which he said drive up the cost of construction and make it nearly impossible to build anything but luxury housing in one of the nation’s most expensive markets.
...More"6 things about cities from Richard Florida"
Last week Richard Florida headlined an “Urban Lab” panel at the NYU Schack Institute of Real Estate. It was moderated by Sam Chandan, who is dean of the Shack Institute.
Here are 6 takeaways from the discussion, with a few of my own thoughts attached:
...More"Tent dwellers for a day seek solutions for homeless"
It was a very different group of tent dwellers who set up camp Monday morning in front of City Hall.
...More"At His 350-Square-Foot Apartment, Small Space Champion Graham Hill Practices What He Preaches"
The seasoned micro-dweller challenges himself to downsize yet again.
In 2012, entrepreneur Graham Hill moved into a 420-square-foot SoHo studio that would act as his personal residence and a showcase for a movement. “I wanted to start a conversation about how doing more with less could improve our lives from an environmental, financial, and even emotional perspective,” he explains.
...More"Could micro-apartments solve the affordable housing crisis?"
Cities across America are facing a devastating housing affordability crisis. One obvious potential solution is micro-units. Adding density without affecting the skyline, they offer housing at a lower price point than is usually available in expensive areas.
...More"San Jose: New law would make city first to allow “tiny homes” for homeless"
SAN JOSE — A newly signed law will allow San Jose to become the first California city to create tiny homes for the homeless by bypassing the state’s confining building codes.
City housing officials and advocates for the homeless call the new legislation a “game-changer” in the fight to solve one of the Silicon Valley’s most intractable problems.
...More"Developer of $50 Million Zaha Hadid N.Y. Penthouse Now Explores Tiny Homes"
London’s latest micro flats meet the country’s minimum space requirements. Technically.
They’re built for one person. There’s only a shower, no bathtub allowed or they violate minimum size regulations. And if the concept works, its deep-pocketed New York backer may try to export the model.
...More
