New regulations aimed at preventing disasters like the Surfside condo collapse are forcing a reckoning on the part of property owners who may struggle to afford required repairs and upgrades.

New regulations governing condo construction in Florida, inspired by the disaster in Surfside, are facing pushback from industry leaders who say the law, as written, “presents a huge financial burden,” reports Robyn Griggs Lawrence for Construction Dive.
“By the end of 2024, the legislation requires condominiums that are at least three stories tall and within 3 miles of the coast be inspected by a licensed engineer or architect when they reach 25 years of age and buildings more than 3 miles inland at 30 years.” New buildings will also be required to install sprinkler systems as of January 2024.
The law would apply to around 1.5 million condo units in the state. Sensing the dilemma faced by many property owners unable to afford the new assessments, developers with deep pockets are swarming around property owners to buy up aging beachside buildings.
Long known as an affordable refuge for retirees, Florida quickly became the least affordable housing market in the country during the pandemic as demand grew and increasingly powerful storms threatened coastal areas. “Florida is also dealing with an insurance crisis, with homeowners paying nearly triple the U.S. average for property insurance and many insurance companies declaring insolvency, leaving the state or refusing to write new policies there.”
Attorneys in the industry say Florida’s legislation should serve as a model for other communities with aging condo buildings. According to Eric Glazer, a partner at Glazer & Sachs, “This is going to happen in every condominium everywhere in the United States that’s not requiring reserves. Florida clearly leads the country when it comes to condominium law.”
FULL STORY: Florida condo market braces for impact of new Surfside-inspired safety law

What the US Intercity Rail System Could Look Like
An FRA study shows how new Amtrak lines could connect tens of millions more Americans to rail travel.

Good Planning Under Bad Leadership
Planners must sometimes work under bad leadership. Here are suggestions for responsive planning in challenging political environments.

Amtrak Cascades Line Breaks Ridership Record
The route linking Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver, BC served nearly one million riders in 2024.

Half of Altadena’s Black Homes Lost or Damaged in Eaton Fire
The community has higher Black homeownership rates than most of Los Angeles, but now faces an uncertain future as residents struggle to rebuild.

Making Autonomous Vehicles Safer for Blind Pedestrians
A team of researchers is developing a dataset to fill a critical gap in self-driving cars’ learning models.

Federal EV Charging Program Suspended
The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program planned to fund the construction of hundreds of EV charging stations across the country.
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.
City of Brookings
City of White Salmon
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
M-NCPPC Prince George's County Planning Department
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service