Housing
California Developments Wait Months for Power
In areas served by PG&E, new developments sometimes have to wait months before the utility will turn on the power, creating extra costs for builders and keeping new affordable housing units off the market.
St. Paul Apartment Construction Slows; Rent Control Under Scrutiny
Apartment permits declined by 48 percent in the past year in St. Paul. The city’s voters approved one of the nation’s most aggressive rent stabilization ordinances in November 2021.
New Zoning Category Proposed in Austin
The ‘town zoning’ category would create more flexibility and encourage developers to build more affordable, transit-oriented housing.
Cities Need More Family-Oriented Housing
For many young families, it’s simply impossible to find affordable housing in cities, leading them to the suburbs not by choice, but by necessity.
Restoring the Vacant Middle: Creating Middle Housing Through Historic Preservation
How flexible zoning in historic districts can support preservation and create affordable housing.
Gainesville Reverses Zoning Reforms, Reinstates Single-Family Zoning
The Florida city will be the first in the country to rescing zoning changes that would have created opportunities for a wider variety of housing options in residential neighborhoods.
Coronado Openly Flouts California Housing Law
The affluent island town has failed to submit a housing element that meets the state’s requirements for affordable housing production.
Zoning Reforms Slow to Benefit Renters
Households seeking lower-cost rental housing units are not seeing housing supply go up as quickly as higher-income families after upzoning.
Richmond Poised to Repeal Parking Minimums
The city’s planning commission recommended that the city council eliminate parking mandates that limit housing production and increase housing costs.
St. Paul To Consider ‘Missing Middle’ Upzoning
Facing an affordability crisis, the city will weigh zoning changes that would permit duplexes and other multifamily housing types in single-family neighborhoods.
The Myth of Local Control
One common argument against statewide zoning reform is that local control of zoning is a venerable democratic norm. But in fact, state government often controls local land use in a variety of ways.
Philadelphia Mayor Hopefuls Want More Affordable Housing on Vacant Lots
Many of the candidates agree that a slow, complex sales process and strong councilmanic prerogative hinder the development of city-owned lots.
How California’s Newest Housing Laws Could Affect Housing Production
While it’s too soon to assess the full effects of recently passed legislation on housing production in the state, planners and housing advocates express cautious optimism that the new laws could help alleviate the state’s housing shortage.
‘Missing Middle Housing’ Bill Passes in Washington Senate
The legislation would permit duplexes and, in some cases, fourplexes in residential areas in most Washington towns.
Eviction Protections Expire in Los Angeles County as Evictions Rise Around the U.S.
L.A.’s pandemic-era renter protections are credited with stabilizing homelessness in the region, but they ended at the end of March. Meanwhile, evictions are on the upswing around the country, led by L.A.’s neighbor to the east, Las Vegas.
Metro Atlanta Cities Weigh Zoning Changes
The southern city’s growth is prompting questions about how to increase the housing supply, maintain affordability, and accommodate new residents.
Montana Legislature Considering Historic Package of Pro-Housing Development Bills
State legislators agree the cost of housing is a growing problem, but there is little consensus on how to boost the supply of affordable housing.
Upzoning Modestly Increases Housing Supply and Affordability, Study Says
A new study by researchers at the Urban Institute finds new evidence that upzoning produces housing supply and reduces costs, while downzoning does the opposite.
Minneapolis Comprehensive Plan Still Searching for Zoning Alignment
The vision set forth in one of the most ambitious and groundbreaking comprehensive plans in recent memory has yet to align with the practical realities of zoning in Minneapolis.
Fort Collins Code Update Rescinded Due to ADU Opposition
It’s back to the drawing board for a development code update in Fort Collins, Colorado, after residents revolted against zoning reforms that include by-right development of accessory dwelling units.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
