Land Use

South Los Angeles

South L.A. Townhall Opposes SB 1120 Statewide Upzoning Bill

L.A. City Councilmembers Herb Wesson and Paul Koretz register opposition to SB 1120, calling the bill an attack on the residential integrity throughout the state of California.

August 24, 2020 - The Planning Report

Tax

Counties and Cities Facing Sudden Dip in Property Tax Revenue

Property taxes have traditionally been viewed as recession-proof channels for local revenue, but first the Great Recession, and now the pandemic depression, are proving to be exceptions to the rule.

August 24, 2020 - Forbes

Duplex

Missing Middle Housing Study Launches in Arlington County, Virginia

Missing Middle Housing, the kinds of additional density that can be added with limited construction on a footprint the size of traditional single-family homes, is gaining momentum in the D.C. region.

August 23, 2020 - Greater Greater Washington

Sunset Park, Brooklyn

A Planning Showdown in New York City

The proposal to rezone the Industry City redevelopment area in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn has won a key approval, but a controversial showdown in the City Council still awaits.

August 23, 2020 - The Real Deal

Boston, Massachusetts

How Massachusetts Got its Historic Planning Reform Moment

As reported earlier this month, the Massachusetts Legislature is poised to approve historic statewide land use reforms that would preempt local control of residential development. Here's a detailed account of how the state arrived at this moment.

August 21, 2020 - Shelterforce Magazine

King Tides

The Cost of Sea-Level Rise Measured in Tens of Billions in California

A new report summarizes the impact rising sea levels would have on California residents, businesses, and infrastructure. The effects would be catastrophic for the San Francisco Bay Area.

August 20, 2020 - San Francisco Weekly

Texas Industrial

Challenging the Permitting Record of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality

Zoning in the U.S. was originally intended to keep noxious uses out of residential areas. Around Houston, which famously lacks a traditional zoning system, polluting uses are still granted broad permission to operate in residential areas.

August 20, 2020 - One Breath Partnership

Seattle Protest

The Trouble With Equity

Equity is a fine value—but on contentious land use issues, equity can be used to support either side of the argument.

August 19, 2020 - Michael Lewyn

Residential Density

Missing Middle Housing: Thinking Big and Building Small to Respond to Today’s Housing Crisis

Dan Parolek, inventor of the term Missing Middle Housing, has written a new book on the subject, available now from Island Press. The following excerpts offer insight into overcoming planning and regulatory barriers to deliver the desired housing.

August 18, 2020 - Dan Parolek

South Bay Area

Proposed Single-Family Zoning Reform Would Have a Big Footprint in California

SB 1120 is the latest law proposed in the California Legislature to preempt restrictive local zoning.

August 17, 2020 - Terner Center for Housing Innovation

Full House Painted Ladies

The Planning Tools to Overcome Racial Segregation

A new report presents five strategies for overcoming the long-term effects of systemic racism as perpetuated by housing and planning policies of the past and present.

August 16, 2020 - Othering and Belonging Institute

Detroit Fairgrounds

Dormant Michigan State Fairground Site to Make Way for Amazon Distribution Center

Detroit officials have been trying to find a new life for the former site of the Michigan State Fair for a long time. Amazon will fill the void, according to a redevelopment proposal announced last week.

August 16, 2020 - Detroit Free Press

Plano DART

The Day after Plano Tomorrow

Planners in Plano, Texas are ready to pick up the pieces and move on from the demise of the Plano Tomorrow comprehensive plan.

August 14, 2020 - The Dallas Morning News

San Francisco

After Decades of Failure, 1,000-Plus Homes Coming to the Balboa Reservoir in San Francisco

Four developers tried, and four developers failed, until the San Francisco Board of Supervisors changed the story in August 2020.

August 13, 2020 - San Francisco Chronicle

La City Hall Cycling

Los Angeles City Planning Hires First Chief Equity Officer

Faisal Roble, the newly appointed chief equity officer of the Los Angeles Department of City Planning, will be tasked with crafting a Racial Equity Action Plan for the department.

August 13, 2020 - MyNewsLA

Massachusetts State Capitol

'Housing Choice' Ready to Overcome the Planning Status Quo in Massachusetts

After several failed attempts, Massachusetts Legislature is close to a breakthrough on the Housing Choice initiative proposed by Governor Baker as a tool for generating a lot of new housing supply in the state.

August 13, 2020 - The Boston Globe

Oregon

The 'Most Pro-Housing Reform in U.S. History' Expected for Approval Today in Portland

The Portland Residential Infill Project is expected for approval by the Portland City Council today, culminating a six year process that became more and more ambitious with every iteration.

August 12, 2020 - Sightline Institute

Ground Floor Retail

Developers Want to Skip Ground-Floor Retail Requirements

Minneapolis developers are agitating against the requirements of mixed-use zoning, saying that it's impossible to find a good tenant for ground floor retail these days.

August 12, 2020 - Star Tribune

Foreclosure Sign

Protecting Distressed Real Estate From Private Equity

Elizabeth Warren and Carroll Fife warn about the potential for the worst housing market outcomes of the real estate and financial crisis of 2008 to repeat without action from federal and state lawmakers.

August 11, 2020 - The Washington Post

San Francisco, California

Can Planners Advance Environmental Justice When Rebuilding Existing Locally Unwanted Land Uses?

Miriam Solis, of the University of Texas at Austin, writes about a recent article she authored in the Journal of Planning Education and Research.

August 11, 2020 - JPER

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.

Senior Planner

planning NEXT

Home and Land Services Coordinator

Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

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