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’
DC Residents Want Affordability Over ‘Character’
A poll finds that most residents want to see changes in zoning and land use laws that unlock more housing construction in the District and improve affordability.
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.
Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.
Montreal Mall to Become 6,000 Housing Units
Place Versailles will be transformed into a mixed-use complex over the next 25 years.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
LA Falling Behind on Housing Goals
Last year, the city permitted just 30 percent of the number of housing units needed to meet a growing need.
Connecting Communities to Nature Close to Home
Los Angeles County’s Nature in Your Neighborhood program brings free, family-friendly wellness and nature activities to local parks, making it easier for residents to enjoy and connect with the outdoors.
Palmdale’s Beloved Water Park Gets $2 Million Upgrade
To mark its 20th anniversary, DryTown Water Park has undergone major renovations, ensuring that families across the Antelope Valley continue to enjoy safe, affordable, and much-needed water-based recreation in the high desert.
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