Land Use

Opinion: Upzone Now to Improve Commutes in the Post-Lockdown Future
Building more housing where people work is a simple way to come out of the pandemic with a stronger sense of community and shorter commutes, according to this article.

Councilmember Nixes Rezoning Request for Massive Brooklyn Redevelopment Project
Gentrification and displacement concerns won the day over a plan to rezone a former industrial area in Sunset Park, Brooklyn for new retail, offices, hotels and restaurants.

Inclusionary Zoning Adopted in L.A. County
The county of Los Angeles is looking for policy tools that will add affordable housing units to the housing market. Inclusionary zoning is its policy of choice.

Planning for an Equitable Economic Recovery
The Seattle Planning Commission recently published a report titled "A Racially Equitable and Resilient Recovery."

New Growth Plan Could End Development Moratorium in Montgomery County
A planning change would make it easier to develop housing near transit in Montgomery County, Maryland. In 2018, the county adopted a development moratorium intended to prevent overcrowding in schools.

Cities: Skylines as an Urban Planning Tool
Computer simulations continue to play a novel and important role in urban planning, especially in finding new ways to engage the public and add some fun to the process of planning for the future of cities.

Connecting Sprawl to Inequality and Climate Change
The consequences of more than a century of planning and zoning are gaining more attention in the media as the country struggles through a pandemic. Will these lessons win new political support for more density in residential neighborhoods?

Transitioning from Climate Justice Planning to Climate Justice Action
The Providence Climate Justice Plan offers an exemplary approach to prioritizing the communities and neighborhoods most impacted by the environmental effects of development and industrial pollution.

Lincoln Yards, Chicago's Controversial $6 Billion Mega-Project, Set to Break Ground
Groundbreaking for the first component of Chicago's massive Lincoln Yards redevelopment project has been scheduled for early 2021.

Planners Call for Deep Police Reforms
A letter signed by over 600 planners calls on the American Planning Association to advocate for fundamental police reforms, in other words, to defund the police.

Seeking '20-Minute Neighborhood' Status in Texas
The neighborhood of Montrose in Houston has undertaken a self-funded study to assess the facts on the ground about walkability in the neighborhood.

I Love the Nightlife: Reopening Entertainment Scenes
The first chapter of a forthcoming report form VibeLab, a nightlife consultancy firm, makes a variety of pertinent suggestions for facilitating al fresco events and safely regulating crowds in a new context.

A 10-Minute Walk to a Park for Your Health and Well-Being
The “10-Minute Walk Campaign” is a nationwide movement to ensure that everyone has safe access to a quality park or green space within a 10-minute walk. In the midst of a pandemic, it is especially important now to have a park close to home.

Walkability Plan, Including Parking Reform, Adopted in Houston
The city of Houston is embarking on an ambitious plan to reshape how new development in the city prioritizes walkability, and deprioritizes the automobile.

Neighborhood Group Kills Affordable Housing Proposal on Parking Concerns in Denver
An affordable housing project requested a waiver of parking requirements to build 36 deeply affordable housing units in Denver. A local neighborhood organization's opposition to the waiver won the day.

The 'Great American Outdoors Act' Signed Into Law
By signing this new law into effect, President Trump seems ot have departed from his administration's previous actions on public lands.

Legal Challenge Brings Down the Plano Tomorrow Comprehensive Plan
Plano Tomorrow, a comprehensive approved in 2015, has been rescinded and replaced with the city's previous master plan, approved in 1986.

Questioning the Fairness of Rezoning During a Pandemic
Virtual reality meetings are a poor substitute for the normal public engagement process included in the city of New York's Uniform Land Use Review Procedure, according ton opinion piece recently published by City Limits.

Opinion: The Zoning Reform Discourse Needs a Dose of Reality
Lately it seems like people are forgetting that zoning is a legal process, requiring the support of elected officials.

Edmonton Eliminates Off-Street Parking Requirements Citywide
The parking reform movement continues its march across the continent.
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