Land Use
Illinois Could Force Statewide Legislation of Accessory Dwelling Units
State legislation would preempt local governments that block the construction of accessory dwelling units, known locally as coach houses, to increase the supply of affordable housing options in the state.
The Right to the City: Planners’ Role in Creating Affordable and Inclusive Communities
In a modern, post-industrial society, economic opportunity depends on disadvantaged households’ ability to find suitable housing in an economically successful city. Planners can make that happen.
Super Tuesday Results for Planning and Land Use Votes
Super Tuesday wan't just for presidential primaries: numerous local elections decided the future of land use policy in the largest state in the nation, while Oklahoma City weighed in on planning-related issues as well.
Two Coastal Areas Face Climate Change Threats, but Their Stories Are Vastly Different
In Manila and the San Francisco Bay Area, the severe impacts of rising sea levels are indisputable. But the only similarities are that both places face very uncertain futures.
The Long, Tough Road for Property Tax Reform in New York City
Landlords and the NAACP agree on the need for property tax reform in New York City, but it took a lawsuit to get the city moving on reform, and the state is still dragging its feet.
The Federal YIMBY Act Makes Progress in the House
A federal bill intended to increase transparency in land use and zoning decisions as well as encourage localities to eliminate barriers to housing has advanced out of a House of Representative committee.
A First Comprehensive Transit Plan for the Charlotte Region
A massive public transit planning effort is underway in the Charlotte region.
Indigenous Peoples Lead Fight Against Climate Change
Tribal communities are preparing for climate impacts by drawing on their deep understanding of the relationship between humans and the natural environment.
San Antonio's Housing Equity Crisis Traced to Planning Roots
Lending and planning policies have split San Antonio residents into haves and haves for decades, according to a large feature published recently by the Rivard Report.
Controversial Development Site in Cupertino Compounds Legal Controversy
The city of Cupertino rezoned a controversial development site in case a judge tosses the developer's current plan for the site. Now the developer is suing, accusing the city of an illegal taking.
The Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda Era Concludes in Seattle
Before YIMBY was a household word and before Minneapolis ended single-family zoning, Seattle's Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda (HALA) broke the planning status quo.
Bribery Scandal Leads to Zoning Board Reforms in Boston
The planning approvals process took a black eye in Boston last year, when a bribery scandal sent a Boston Planning and Development Agency staffer to jail.
TOD and Zero-Emission Trains: Can You Guess Where the Controversy Is?
The nation's first fuel cell electric train will make its debut in Southern California in about four years, but it's also associated with a controversial ballot measure on the station sites that voters of Redlands will decide on Super Tuesday.
Developer Sues L.A. After Area Planning Commissioners Reject Multi-Family Project
A development controversy also now an expanding legal controversy, after a local planning commission rejected a controversial development proposal allowed by zoning.
Opinion: Climate Change Has Brought the 'Era of Extreme' to the Great Lakes
Severe flooding in these coastal areas will become the norm, but how to best address the environmental challenges is not entirely clear.
Waterfront Toronto Greenlights Most of Sidewalk Labs' Quayside Master Plan
An evaluation committee made up of Waterfront Toronto staff has given a green light for the Sidewalk Labs master plan for Toronto to proceed to the next stages of planning.
Airbnb, Denver Struggle to Find Common Ground
Where other cities have found common ground with Airbnb and the short-term rental industry, Denver's negotiations toward regulations have continued since 2018 with little to show for the effort.
A Path for California to Get to Zero Carbon...And Below
A new study from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory evaluates strategies to achieve former Gov. Jerry Brown's goal of carbon neutrality by 2045. Unlike other reports that study emission reductions, it evaluates "negative emissions" strategies.
Neighborhood Preference Splits on Partisan Lines
Preferences in the characteristics of communities—from the shape of the built environment to demographics—reveal stark partisan preferences. Planners are faced with the task of navigating ideological divides.
Zoning Code Update Makes the Nightly News in Cleveland
The potential of form-based codes to re-legalize the historic fabric of Cleveland is explained for the nightly news audience.
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.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie
