Land Use

Coastal Property Ownership Contested as the Gulf of Mexico Rises in Louisiana
Landowners, oil and gas companies, environmental groups, and fishers all have an interest in sorting out the status of Louisiana's privately owned coastline as rising water inundates the state.

Development Opponents Gaining Ground in New York City
According to this article in the New York Times, the days of development interests dominating the planning process in New York City are over.

Presidential Candidates Discuss the California Housing Crisis
Many of the Democratic candidates have offered housing policy plans as a key plank in their election platforms, but here a prominent YIMBY politician confronts them directly on the housing crisis in California.

The Journal of the American Planning Association's Single-Family Zoning Debate
Eric Jaffe, writing for Sidewalk Labs, details a recent issue of the Journal of the American Planning Association that debated the future of single-family zoning.

A Minnesota Suburb's Permeable Pavement Leadership
Shoreview, Minnesota has one of the most extensive permeable pavement systems in the United States. This technology has reduced the need for expensive grey infrastructure like stormwater sewer systems.

Voters Could Get the Chance to Ease Development Restrictions in San Francisco
A ballot initiative by San Francisco Mayor London Breed would make it easier for qualifying developments (e.g., developments that include affordable housing) to sidestep discretionary approvals.
Prefabricated, Mixed-Use Project Proposed in Downtown Anchorage
The first mixed-use hotel and apartment project in downtown Anchorage, Alaska will use prefabricated rooms and is expected to start construction this spring.

How Cars Make Life More Expensive—Even If You Don't Own a Car
Auto-dependence starts with land use, and zoning codes ensure everyone pays for the privilege only available to some.

Report: Sea-Level Rise Is Accelerating
Sea levels are rising at an accelerating rate, continuing a trend that began in 2013 or 2014, and pushes coastal communities toward the extreme end of the possible spectrum of sea-level rise.

S.F. Bay Area Megaprojects Not Coming to Fruition
Plans for numerous large-scale developments in the region mean thousands of housing units should be on the way, but constant delays and setbacks have left projects nowhere near completion.

Exhibition Aims to Change Minds About Density
"Everything You Think You Know About Housing Is Probably Wrong," reads the headline of this New York Times article.

Opinion: N.Y.C. Neighborhood Rezoning Displaces Vulnerable Residents
Rezoning has resulted in the loss of affordable housing in areas like the South Bronx, and any proposals need to consider the long-term racial equity impacts, according to a recent report by Churches United for Fair Housing.

Planning Without Zoning: The Houston Story
Houston is famous in planning circles for lacking a zoning code, but that doesn't mean planners don't have plenty of tools to determine the future of the city.

2,600 New Homes Approved in San Francisco
A massive new development at the former site of a polluting power plant is moving forward in the City by the Bay.

Car-Free Streets Aren't a Silver Bullet
The San Francisco Chronicle's urban design critic tempers expectations for Market Street in San Francisco, where the city this week undertook an ambitious, but perhaps over-sold, redesign of the busy street.

Upzoning and Affordability, Explained
Upzoning is gaining popularity among planners and politicians in parts of the country as a tool for affordability. But some opponents of the idea maintain that new density will only make housing affordability worse.

Crafting the Future of Zoning
Lee D. Einsweiler, principal and co-founder of Code Studio, offers practiced insight on the relationship between planning and implementation, as well as guidance for a fulfilling career navigating the two.

Vacancy Taxes as a Response to the Housing Crisis
Could vacancy taxes solve multiple housing challenges at once?

Updated: Statewide Upzoning Falls Short Again in California
For the third year in a row, an effort to increase density near transit in statewide in California has stalled in the legislature.

Opinion: Wealthy Residents Are Opposing Brooklyn Development to Protect Their Own Interests
Residents are arguing that a Williamsburg development would negatively affect the neighborhood. But it’s a grassroots effort to protect the status quo in a neighborhood where gentrification benefited them.
Pagination
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