Advocates have been calling for the New York State Legislature to legalize accessory dwelling units for years. A new law would take the first step.

New York State Assemblymember Harvey Epstein and New York State Senator Pete Harckham recently introduced legislation to legalize accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in the state of New York.
The New York State Accessory Homes Enabling Act would direct local governments to legalize ADU permitting while allowing some flexibility for locality-specific considerations.
New York ADU Legalization, a coalition of advocates supporting the legislation, put out a press release announcing and explaining the proposed legislation:
The New York State Department of State would work with local governments to make sure local laws meet state requirements and protect both homeowners and renters. And the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal would create a financing program to make sure low- and moderate-income homeowners are able to access the benefits of ADUs.
Assemblymember Harvey Epstein also put out a statement touting the proposed law as an affordable housing measure. "ADU legalization would open up opportunities for hundreds of thousands of affordable units to be placed on the market to beat back the housing crisis, as well as generate more tax revenue to help fill looming budget gaps," said Epstein in the statement.
The Regional Plan Association also put out a statement in support of the proposed law, saying that more permissive ADU laws is especially critical in light of the pandemic.
FULL STORY: Landmark Bill to End Bans on Accessory Homes Across New York State to be Introduced...

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?

Car Designs Make it Harder to See Pedestrians
Blind spots created by thicker pillars built to withstand rollover crashes are creating dangerous conditions for people outside vehicles.

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.
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