Outdated and onerous regulations, particularly those found in zoning ordinances, are affecting the availability of housing choice. What can communities do to expand their hosing stock? C.J. Gabbe explains.
What do granny flats, ADU's and micro-apartments have in common? In many places across America, they are prohibited.
C.J. Gabbe, doctoral student at UCLA and guest blogger at the Community Builders network explains: "Unfortunately, today’s building codes and land use regulations frequently prevent these types of moderately-priced housing options from being developed. In the 'new normal' American economy, with limited resources at every level of government, the affordability crisis will only deepen if we don’t change regulations that prohibit sensible development."
In an era of changing consumer preferences and economic uncertainty, communities should be looking to expand housing stock and lower barriers to affordability by implementing a range of common sense reforms. This first piece in a series examines how communities can tackle additional dwelling units, parking requirements and minimum unit sizes.
FULL STORY: Expanding housing options in the Rocky Mountain West by reducing land use regulations
How Zoning Affects Greenhouse Gas Emissions
As the urgency of the climate crisis increases, a paper in the Notre Dame Law Review argues that increased density is not a universally effective strategy to reduce emissions and that different strategies are needed for low-carbon places versus high-carbon ones.
Florida Law Would Change the Definition of ‘Sprawl’
One quick way to build sprawl.
Ranking Exclusionary Zoning: D.C., New York Metro Areas Top the List
A new database measures the restrictiveness of exclusionary zoning practices around the country. Exclusionary zoning, it turns out, is much more prevalent than commonly acknowledged.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.
MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.
Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie