Housing Rebound Unlikely Before 2009 http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a4nfoY47rBfo&refer=home FEMA spends almost $3B on emergency housing http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2008-08-25-katrina_N.htm Advocates assail suburbs for fighting housing rules http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080826/NEWS01/808260371/1006/news01g ACORN Housing...

These two reports focus on the role the Internet is playing in the mission of US institutions. The first, from Darrell M. West, Brown University, updates his report for 2000 (discussed in the September 22, 2000 Scout Report) on the electronic delivery of government information and services. The 23-page report looks at the functionality and accessibility of state and government Websites, progress...

Written by Christopher Walker of the Urban Institute, this 69-page report takes a critical look at the ways in which community development corporations (which generally are nonprofit, community-controlled real estate development organizations) have assisted in the revitalization of poor communities around the United States. Funded by the National Community Development Initiative, Walker's analysis...

This report, written by Christopher Walker and Mark Weinheimer and published by the Urban Institute, demonstrates that since its inception in 1991, the National Community Development Initiative (NCDI) has had a significant impact on community development corporations (CDCs) in 23 large American cities. The 136-page report provides an overview of the NCDI and CDCs, an assessment of NCDI-funded...

Many organizations and individuals are working to transform some of America's most violent inner city neighborhoods by forming a series of coalitions with local residents, religious organizations, and schools. This engaging documentary from PBS's Frontline takes a look into "the violent landscape of our cities through the eyes of those fighting to sow peace and security." First-time visitors...

If you're interested in the world of urban development and housing in the United States, you'll find the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Official Blog (HUDdle) most compelling. The blog is designed to share information about the department’s programs, provide a forum for interacting with the public and also get feedback about the work being done. The archives date back to 2010 and...

From the Community Development Research Center within the New School University, this new working paper is authored by Edward Blakely, one of the foremost urban policy academics and practitioners in the United States. In the 35-page paper, Professor Blakely examines the use of arbitrage theory as "a means of valuing community assets in urban low-income communities." As Professor Blakely points out...

Located at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), the Polis Center is an academic research center that focuses on urban and urban-related issues. Their goal is to "to develop knowledge that will serve the common good and invigorate the sense of community in this city and beyond." To this end, they have placed on the site a great deal of material about their numerous research...

Since the 1960s, many scholars with an interest in urban affairs have chimed in with important research works that examine what one legendary professor referred to as the "unheavenly city" and its problems. In this paper (presented as part of The Brookings Institution's Metropolitan Policy research group), Professor Arthur C. Nelson of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University turns...

Each year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) makes all of their published research reports, case studies, and guidebooks publicly available on this website. The documents are arranged thematically, and they include everything from "Affordable Housing" to "Zoning". Given the recent interest in building "green", many visitors will want to click on over to the "Housing...