Denver voters this week rejected Initiated Ordinance 303, written by chairman of the Denver Republican Party, which would have expanded the city's controversial camping ban.
Joe Rubino reports that Denver voters rejected an ordinance that would have made the city's camping ban more strict, just a few days after a judge struck down a key components of the ordinance.
Initiated Ordinance 303 "would require people to obtain written permission before camping on private property and cap the number of city-sanctioned safe outdoor camping sites for people experiencing homelessness in the city at four, requiring amenities like bathrooms at each," according to Rubini. Garrett Flicker, chairman of the Denver Republican Party, wrote the ordinance.
On Sunday, two days before the citywide election, Denver District Court Judge Darryl Shockley struck down a section of the ordinance "that would have mandated that the city had 72 hours — three days — to respond if a resident filed a complaint about an unsanctioned encampment," explains Rubino. "The measure would have given residents the power to sue the city if action wasn’t taken in that window."
The outcome of the election stood out compared to a vote in Austin in May 2021, when voters supported criminal penalties for camping in public.
Denver has been contesting the boundaries of its camping ban since approved by the council in 2021—the city briefly rescinded the ban at the beginning of 2020 to adjust its practices to the landmark Supreme Court ruling in Martin v. City of Boise.
Read the full story: Denver ballot measure 303: Voters rejecting ordinance that would build on city’s camping ban
Cities Still Sweeping Away Homeless Camps, Despite Legal Challenges
Denver and Los Angeles kicked the new year off by committing to the enforcement of a sleeping ban and sweeping away a large homeless encampment, respectively.
Nevada Cities Pass Punitive Anti-Homeless Laws
State legislators rejected a proposed bill that would have enshrined a “Homeless Person’s Bill of Rights” in state law.
Tent Encampments: Will the Legal Restraint be Lifted?
A controversial U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in 2018 that has hindered the ability of western cities to clear tent encampments on public spaces will likely be revisited and overturned by the Supreme Court, predicts a popular CNN host.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Mamdani’s pied-à-terre tax survives legal challenge
A panel of judges found that the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate injury as a result of New York City's implementation of the tax.
Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity
Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.
Seattle passes record-breaking transit services expansion
Proposition 1 will double the city’s transit tax to add 95,000 more bus trips and preserve 180,000 bus trips annually.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority