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.

Planning for Congestion Relief
The third and final installment of Planetizen's examination of the role of the planning profession in both perpetuating and solving traffic congestion.

Minneapolis Housing Plan a Success—Not for the Reason You Think
Housing advocates praise the city’s move to eliminate single-family zoning by legalizing triplexes on single-family lots, but that isn’t why housing construction is growing.

New White House Housing Initiative Includes Zoning Reform Incentives
The Biden administration this morning released a new program of actions intended to spur housing construction around the United States.

Study: Most of Vancouver Is a ‘15-Minute City’
A large majority of Vancouver residents can access a grocery store in 15 minutes or less by bicycle or on foot.

Urban Design, Transport, and Health
The Lancet medical journal published a series of articles that explore how to evaluate and guide urban planning decisions to create healthy and sustainable cities. Live long and prosper!

Detroit Bike Share Celebrates Five Years
In its five years of operation, Detroit’s MoGo bikeshare has added electric and adaptive bikes to its fleet of more than 600 bikes.
Ada County Highway District
PolicyMap
City & Borough of Juneau
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 Redwood City
City of Rohnert Park
City of Hot Springs
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.