The rezoning of the neighborhood of Gowanus in Brooklyn is providing opportunities for local politicians to address local needs.

Daniel Geiger reports on the evolution of a rezoning plan for the Gowanus neighborhood in Brooklyn, where the local councilmember, Brad lander, is proposing a transfer of air rights to help finance improvements at three local New York City Housing Authority buildings.
"Lander has asked the Dept. of City Planning, the agency drafting the rezoning plan, to include a mechanism that would allow the three complexes, Wyckoff Gardens, Gowanus Houses and Warren Street Houses, to sell air rights into the district, potentially raising tens of millions of dollars or more for the properties, which together have about 1,800 units," according to Geiger.
"Developers in the Gowanus neighborhood would be compelled to purchase air rights from the NYCHA buildings to achieve some portion of the added density granted through the neighborhood rezoning."
The Gowanus rezoning has been in the works for several years, with drafts released in 2018 and 2019. Next up for the rezoning is a seven-month public comment process, expected to begin in December or January.
FULL STORY: Gowanus rezoning could require developers to buy Housing Authority's air rights

Four ‘Low-Hanging Fruit’ Zoning Reforms
An excerpt from the latest book on zoning argues for four approaches to reform that can immediately improve land use regulation in the United States.

San Francisco Just Ended Single-Family Zoning
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to Tuesday to eliminate single-family zoning, but pro-development advocates say additional changes are needed to unleash a wave of construction.

Land Banking to Prevent Transit-Oriented Displacement in Los Angeles
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) will implement a new land banking program to mitigate gentrification and displacement around future transit lines.

San Francisco to Reconsider Inclusionary Zoning as Development Slows to a Crawl
Critics of inclusionary zoning frequently point to San Francisco as an example of what not to do. A sluggish year of development has some local politicians ready to reconsider the city’s program.

California Senate Committee Kills Freeway Expansion Bill
The proposed legislation would have prohibited new construction in historically underserved areas that often bear the burnt of the negative impacts of freeways.

Initiative Brings Capacity Building to Booming Rural Towns
A research and capacity building initiative based at Utah State University seeks to help fast-growing tourist meccas in the West plan for smart growth.
City of Bothell
Town of San Anselmo
Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency (TPA)
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard Graduate School of Design Executive Education
Harvard Graduate School of Design Executive Education
City of Apache Junction
City of Helena
Gallatin County, Montana
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.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.