The project included everything San Bruno and residents asked for, and it would have helped the city make significant progress in addressing its growing housing crisis. Still, it was voted down.
J.K. Dineen reports on a recent city council decision in San Bruno, California, that killed the proposal for Mills Park Plaza, a mixed-use project that would have included 425 housing units and a grocery store.
"The project’s rejection was held up by housing advocates as an example of a broken housing approval process in California. Even when cities say they want housing — and developers meet the community’s every demand and whim — decisions driven by fear of growth can kill projects after millions of dollars and years of energy have been sunk into them," writes Dineen.
He notes that San Bruno is far from reaching the state housing goal of 1,155 units by 2023, as the city has built only 119 units since 2016. Housing advocates argue that actions such as the one in San Bruno amount to housing obstruction at the local level and point to the need for planning oversight to occur at the state level.
FULL STORY: San Bruno seeks housing, then rejects it: ‘I don’t know what you can get passed’
Louisville Launches ‘Anti-Displacement Tool’
After a years-long, tenant-led effort, Louisville will use a new tool to analyze whether a proposed housing development can meet a neighborhood’s housing needs and income levels. If it doesn’t, the city won’t subsidize it.
To Build More Housing, Cities Must Be Smarter in How They Use Land
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California Law Ends Road Widening Mandates
Housing developers will no longer be required to dedicate land to roadway widening, which could significantly reduce the cost of construction and support more housing units.
Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.
Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall
A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.
Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work
Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.
In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle
Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont