In a bid to address concerns about vacation rentals in residential neighborhoods, the San Diego Planning Commission recommends cutting the number of short-term rentals in the city in half.

After years of complaints about loud guests and threats to long-term renters, San Diego leaders are evaluating a proposalto reduce the number of permitted short-term rentals by 50%. "Beyond the disruption the short-term rentals bring with a revolving door of strangers, they destabilize neighborhoods and reduce needed permanent housing supply," Reginald Jones of the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation told the San Diego Union-Tribune. "They should ultimately be banned from residential areas." Homeowners and renters have both expressed concerns about the effects of short-term rentals on neighborhood character and the rental market, citing Airbnb and its ilk as a major driver of displacement, instability, and scarcity for long-term renters.
Other experts seem less sure, asserting that any new policies should balance the needs of property owners with neighbors and other stakeholders. According to Gary London of London Moeder Advisors, eliminating short-term rentals would have almost no effect on the broader housing crisis faced by many Californians. Ray Major of the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) agreed, saying that while short-term rentals do need regulation, property owners who depend on rental income should be allowed to operate rentals "within a set of reasonable guidelines."
The plan, endorsed by the city's Planning Commission, still requires approval by the San Diego City Council.

New York Governor Advances Housing Plan Amid Stiff Suburban Opposition
Governor Kathy Hochul’s ambitious proposal to create more housing has once again run into a brick wall of opposition in New York’s enormous suburbs, especially on Long Island. This year, however, the wall may have some cracks.

Rethinking the Role of Parking in the American City
In cities big and small, the tide is turning against sprawling parking lots, car-centric development, and minimum parking mandates.

Friday Eye Candy: 20 AI-Generated Cityscapes
AI-generated images are creating new landscapes and cityscapes, capable of inspiring awe or fear.

Proposed Pool Would Make an Olympic-Sized Play Area in the San Francisco Bay
The San Francisco Bay is usually an undesirable place to swim, except for a hearty few. A development proposal seeking assistance at the state level would add a pool to the Bay’s waters to make the idea of going for a swim more appealing.

Chicagoland Transit Agencies Call for State Funding as Budget Shortfall Looms
Illinois transit agencies want to see changes to a law requiring them to collect half of their revenue from transit fares, arguing that low ridership and staffing shortages will lead to a massive budget gap without intervention.

Panel: Minneapolis Zoning Updates Should Reflect Mixed-Use Future
A discussion of post-pandemic changes in work and commuting concluded that the city’s overhaul of its zoning code should be less restrictive with land uses.
Princeton Planning
City of College Park
Houston-Galveston Area Council
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Spearfish
City of Lomita
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.