The state must build 28,000 housing units each year to keep up with a growing need.
According to an article by Katie McKellar in Deseret News, “Legislative auditors concluded Utah needs to build almost 28,000 units of housing a year to keep up with the state’s forecasted growth while signaling a continued prevalence on single-family homes rather than higher-density housing would be a ‘recipe for trouble as Utah continues to grow.’” The state’s housing shortage is expected to grow to 37,000 units by next year.
The report recommends finding ways to “increase zoning density on a wide scale” and do more to enforce local compliance with housing goals. “Auditors floated policy options like tying existing land use requirements to projected population growth (seen in states including Oregon and California) and considering ‘upzoning,’ or requiring local governments to allow more homes to be built on less land.”
The report notes that while the government doesn’t engage in housing construction, “setting the right mix of public policy could create more favorable conditions to create housing at the level needed to keep pace with population growth.
FULL STORY: Utah audit: A future of only single-family homes ‘recipe for trouble’
NYC’s Proposed Zoning Reforms Lag Behind Other Cities
Cities like Austin and Minneapolis are making major changes to their zoning codes to encourage housing construction, but New York’s proposed reforms are far less ambitious.
Analysis: Localized Upzoning Less Effective
Changing zoning rules for a small number of parcels can increase land values and housing costs without boosting the housing supply.
NYC Likely to Legalize ADUs as Part of ‘City of Yes’ Reforms
Homeowners in some neighborhoods could soon be able to build accessory dwelling units in their backyards, garages, or basements.
Research Links Urban Design and Human Happiness
An emerging field of ‘neuroarchitectural’ research is revealing how building facades and urban design impact the human brain and body.
Reimagining Your Street
How to use free online tools to redesign your local streetscape.
Research: Sprawl Linked to Poverty
Low-income families living in high-sprawl neighborhoods are limited in their access to education, jobs, and other amenities, often trapping them in a cycle of poverty.
Nature and Nurture: Understanding the Diversity of Biophilia
Biophilia, originally thought to be an innate and universal love for nature, is now understood as a temperament trait with significant individual differences influenced by genetics and experience.
Washington Lawmakers Eye Rent Stabilization
Democrats are pushing for a statewide rent stabilization bill that would give renters some protections while offering more flexibility for landlords than blanket rent control policies.
Wildfires Devastate LA Outdoor Education Spaces and Schools
The current Los Angeles wildfires have destroyed schools and outdoor education spaces like Eaton Canyon, displacing families and disrupting vital learning and community resources while highlighting the region’s vulnerability to natural disasters.
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.
Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA)
Ada County Highway District
Charles County Government
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland