A proposal in Snohomish County, Washington could raise the lot coverage limits in medium density residential zones to allow for more usable square footage.

Under revised rules, Snohomish County could allow increased lot coverage and more flexible design in parts of the county's unincorporated urban growth areas. As reported by Stephen Fesler in The Urbanist, "county planners principally hope that the code amendments will solve lot coverage mismatches between zoning types, allow more flexible building and site design, and help development proposals reasonably achieve allowed zoning densities."
Lot coverage dictates how much of a lot can be covered by structures and has a major impact on how much usable square footage a lot can hold. Although sometimes associated with stormwater management and drainage, county planner Janet Wright addressed those concerns, stating in a briefing to the County Council "our drainage codes address mitigating stormwater runoff from…impervious surface areas and our code requires that projects implement low-impact development strategies where feasible." Wright also explained that "the current LDMR lot coverage maximum is unique and inexplicably lower than lower-density residential zones" and that increasing lot coverage "could bring more harmony of development patterns."
While the return on investment will ultimately drive site utilization, proponents of higher lot coverage predict that higher limits will "ensure that more projects fully use allowed zoning densities." The proposal is headed to a public hearing on March 3rd.
FULL STORY: Snohomish County Explores Higher Lot Coverage Allowances in Medium Density Zones for Housing

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.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Half of Post-Fire Altadena Home Sales Were to Corporations
Large investors are quietly buying up dozens of properties in Altadena, California, where a devastating wildfire destroyed more than 6,000 homes in January.

Opinion: What San Francisco’s Proposed ‘Family Zoning’ Could Really Mean
Mayor Lurie is using ‘family zoning’ to encourage denser development and upzoning — but could the concept actually foster community and more human-scale public spaces?

Jacksonville Launches First Autonomous Transit Shuttle in US
A fleet of 14 fully autonomous vehicles will serve a 3.5-mile downtown Jacksonville route with 12 stops.
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.
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont