Land Use

In a precautionary essay about moving to another place, Chuck Wolfe explains tensions between simple and practical community life and newcomers’ arguably gentrification-laced expectations.

November 3, 2024 - Resurgence: A Journey via Substack

Close to two dozen municipalities are suing the state, arguing that the affordable housing requirements mandated by the Mount Laurel Doctrine are unrealistic and discriminate against suburban communities.

November 3, 2024 - Gothamist

Homeowners in Southern California are starting to take advantage of a state law that allows lot splitting and higher density in residential areas in an effort to increase housing supply and affordability.

November 1, 2024 - KPBS

A state law known as the Mount Laurel Doctrine mandates that each jurisdiction accommodate enough new housing units to meet the local demand for affordable housing.

October 31, 2024 - Morristown Daily Record

U.S. cities are working to redefine their downtowns in response to the “donut effect:” people and businesses abandoning city centers and flocking to suburban areas and beyond.

October 31, 2024 - Wes Guckert

Power and gas were shut off to dozens of homes in Rancho Palos Verdes as landslides threatened homes and infrastructure. Now, the city is offering to buy the homes to help residents relocate.

October 30, 2024 - ABC 7

Twelve states and industry groups are supporting Utah’s lawsuit against the Bureau of Land Management, arguing the agency can’t bar extractive uses on ‘unappropriated’ public lands.

October 30, 2024 - Utah News Dispatch

Coatings that reflect heat can make the air feel warmer for people standing on and around these surfaces.

October 29, 2024 - Smart Cities Dive

Two bills currently moving through Congress could make mass production of prefabricated, affordable housing possible on a large scale.

October 29, 2024 - Jordan Rogove

A new analysis ranks cities based on their environmental quality, energy consumption and production, transportation, density, and other factors.

October 28, 2024 - The Street

Kern County supervisors voted to support a carbon storage project that will inject climate-warming gases into a former oil and gas field.

October 27, 2024 - CALmatters

A survey of housing-related measures on state and local ballots this election season.

October 25, 2024 - Multifamily Dive

As the CRO, Matthew Gonser is focused on tackling extreme heat, flooding, and wildfires while engaging the community and implementing systemic changes to build a more sustainable and climate-resilient future.

October 24, 2024 - Los Angeles County Chief Sustainability Office

Spiking insurance costs in coastal areas prone to climate disasters are making it harder for low-income housing developers to keep building.

October 24, 2024 - WHQR

Park creation can take decades of perseverance to overcome financial, regulatory, and social hurdles, but the end result for the local community is more than worth it.

October 23, 2024 - Clement Lau

Efforts by the city and residents have generated 17,000 new housing units in the last five years.

October 23, 2024 - Strong Towns

The cooling effect of robust urban tree canopies is more pronounced in hotter, drier cities like Phoenix and Las Vegas.

October 22, 2024 - U.S. Geological Survey

A review of The Sustainable Urban Design Handbook, by architects Nico Larco and Kaarin Knudson.

October 22, 2024 - Michael Lewyn

The sudden closure of the Phillips 66 refinery in Los Angeles has been welcomed by environmental and community activists, raising hopes for reduced pollution.

October 21, 2024 - Los Angeles Times

A new study highlights the complex challenge of addressing tree canopy disparities in South L.A., where historical environmental injustices, budget constraints, and competing community priorities hinder efforts to increase equitable tree coverage.

October 21, 2024 - Los Angeles Times