Land Use

Neighborhood Group Beats the Big Box
A Dallas location seemingly destined to become home to a big box store has been rezoned; some see this as a victory for walkability in Dallas.

Affordable Housing Incentives Get Pushback in Maryland
Montgomery County's plan for Bethesda calls for height bonuses in return for affordable housing. Residents neighboring the proposed incentive zones have successfully resisted that idea.

Housing Density a Missing Link for Emissions Reductions in California
Emissions from electricity generation are decreasing while those from transportation are increasing. If communities don't increase housing density to change travel patterns, it will only get worse, but the challenges may be insurmountable.

No Playing in the Streets in NYC
New York City's Play Streets program has shrunk dramatically because of obstructive bureaucracy and lack of funding, argues Brad Aaron.
Big Plans for Former Bethlehem Steel Parcel Near Buffalo
Officials in Erie County believe the former home of Bethlehem Steel, south of Buffalo, will be attractive to manufacturers given its proximity to Lake Erie and various highways and rail lines.

The 'Inclusionary Housing Calculator' Will See If Your Affordable Housing Ideas Pencil Out
The debate about inclusionary zoning persists—with some pro-development saying affordable housing fees and requirements stifle development before it can start. A new tool helps crunch the numbers behind the debate.

Using Satellite Imagery, This AI Traces Urban Wealth
Penny is an artificial intelligence program that detects affluence from space. It also lets users experiment with how different visual forms affect its perception of an area's wealth.

How Soccer Is Changing Land Use
Planners are incorporating the growing popularity of soccer into parks and communities, writes L.A. park planner Clement Lau, and not just with soccer fields.

Last Coastal Sand Mine in the U.S. to Shut Down
A sand mine that has been operating since the very beginning of the 20th century has finally been shut down by California regulators. The site of the facility will be returned to more natural conditions.

Preserving the Rural Landscape with Agrarian Urbanism
We don't usually think zoning when considering farmland preservation, but Hazel Borys shares are a few thoughts that may help.

Manhattan's Midtown East Rezoning Wins Critical Approval
A City Council committee's approval of a proposed rezoning of Midtown East represents a big win for the de Blasio Administration. The Bloomberg Administration fell short in an efforts to upzone the neighborhood in 2013.

Pittsburgh Takes Property Data Visualization to the Next Level
Not all property data maps are created equal.

Education and Nutrition Flourish Together
"A hungry world is not a just world," says one of the local residents quoted in this story about a community garden in Denver.

Critiquing Santa Monica's 'Grand Bargain' of a Downtown Plan
The city of Santa Monica increased in population by 6,500 between 1960 and 2010, while the rest of Los Angeles County grew by 60 percent over the same period. A debate over a new downtown plan that includes more housing was never going to be simple.

No More Parking Minimums in Mexico City
Mexico's capital city and the largest city in North America turned the new regulation into law earlier this month.

Congress Confirms a Controversial Number Two at the Department of the Interior
The confirmation of David Bernhardt as Deputy Secretary of the Interior has upset environmentalists and advocates for public land.

Traffic Concerns Sink Light-Rail-Adjacent Development in San Jose
The city of San Jose has a mixed record of moving forward with land use changes that complement its existing and expanding transit systems.

Op-Ed: To Lower Housing Costs, Make it Cheaper and Easier to Build Housing
The argument in the headline, put more specifically: inclusionary zoning, fees, legal challenges, and minimum apartment sizes are counter-productive. The only policy that will add housing stock, is to make it much cheaper to add housing stock.

Texas Bill Would Immunize Property Rights From Zoning Code Changes
The Texas Legislature and executive branch is continuing to wage a battle against local control, this time pursuing a land use law that would undermine zoning code changes, such as the current CodeNEXT process in Austin.

Study: 'Eyes on the Street' Have Real Value for Neighborhood Safety
The first study to make an attempt at quantifying the value of "eyes on street"—an idea most eloquently described by Jane Jacobs—offers reason to support a mix of uses, with businesses operating later in the evening.
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