"Member deference" is what they call it New York, but many local elected officials in the United States have veto power over land use and development plans.

An opinion piece by Alec Schierenbeck calls for an end to the councilmember's land use veto in New York City.
"Under the City Council’s longstanding practice of 'member deference,' Council approval of any land-use change — like allowing affordable housing on a lot zoned for parking — turns on the opinion of the local member," according to Schierenbeck's explanation of the practice.
The inspiration for the argument behind this post comes from a decision by Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer, who represents the Sunnyside neighborhood in Queens, to kill a proposal that would develop a parking lot in the neighborhood into 100 percent affordable apartments.
That's a shame, according to Schierenbeck, in the midst of a housing affordability crisis. The writer calls for an end to the land use veto in New York: "But we can, and should, end a City Council practice that ensures the narrow preferences of each member control all of the Council’s power over land use. Because the forces behind rising rents, gentrification, and homelessness don’t stop at Council district lines, our solutions can’t either.
The idea seemed to win critical political support when Council Speaker Core Johnson entered the position in 2018, but during that time Schierenbeck doesn't see any change.
FULL STORY: End the Council’s land-use veto: The path to a more affordable, fairer New York

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions
An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.

What Happens if Trump Kills Section 8?
The Trump admin aims to slash federal rental aid by nearly half and shift distribution to states. Experts warn this could spike homelessness and destabilize communities nationwide.

Sean Duffy Targets Rainbow Crosswalks in Road Safety Efforts
Despite evidence that colorful crosswalks actually improve intersection safety — and the lack of almost any crosswalks at all on the nation’s most dangerous arterial roads — U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy is calling on states to remove them.
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.
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie