Dealing with blight complaints requires new approach, Memphis says

Cambridge’s new zoning reform lessens housing restrictions by allowing property owners and developers to build six-story apartments — through a process called upzoning — to accommodate more residents on a single lot in areas that were previously restricted to single-family homes. The city previously aimed to build 350 new units by 2040, but with the new zoning reform, that estimate has grown to 4,880.

Across the country, cities are pursuing office-to-housing conversions after the pandemic decimated downtown business districts. A percentage of these new apartments are required to be offered at affordable, below-market rates and some cities are also offering tax breaks for developers to incentivize these conversions.

The California Legislature, inspired by a decades-old Massachusetts affordable housing bill, recently passed SB 35. However, a few differences distinguish the two bills. In Massachusetts, the 40B bill fast-tracks development projects that include 20% affordable units in cities that have below the mandated amount of affordable housing. California’s bill rewards affordable housing projects, but it also rewards projects with above-average income housing. Still, the bill is a big step forward in the fight for more affordable housing at the state level.

Michigan's roads have been in disrepair for years. Now with increased private sector funding and partnerships between companies and the government, the state could start to see improvements in its infrastructure.

In a Pittsburgh food desert, the addition of a new supermarket increased residents' level of satisfaction with their neighborhood. Researching people's relationship with food and their community could improve federal efforts to fight food insecurity and poor eating habits.

There is an escalating housing affordability crisis in America, where even the middle and creative classes are having difficulty finding somewhere they can afford to live. A possible solution could be cooperative housing as explained through several examples around the world where this method has been used.

Philadelphia’s Rebuild project leveraged revenue from a new tax on soda along with philanthropic funding to renovate parks, recreation facilities, and libraries throughout the city. Because of its focus on equity, the program funneled roughly 20 percent more funding into disadvantaged areas compared to the city’s previous capital projects, but due to delays in the process and the level of repairs and renovation needed, the city was ultimately only able to tackle about half the number of Rebuild projects it originally projected.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Build America Bureau allocated $35 billion in funding for development projects near public transportation that would transform underutilized offices into much-needed housing.

The Red Cloud smart city project is greatly improving local residents’ quality of life and leading to reduced crime rates in the city. The project installed new LED streetlights with AI-enabled overhead cameras, Wi-Fi access in homes that didn’t have access previously, as well as air quality monitoring devices. Since the new improvements were made, morale in the city has significantly improved and there are plans in place to scale the program and improve neighboring cities, as well.

Sacramento, California, is increasing the number of affordable housing units built in the city by implementing deed restrictions that limit prices and require occupancy by low-income residents, providing free permit-ready building plans for accessory dwelling units, and prioritizing quick approvals by the city government.