Close to two dozen municipalities are suing the state, arguing that the affordable housing requirements mandated by the Mount Laurel Doctrine are unrealistic and discriminate against suburban communities.

A group of New Jersey municipalities is asking a court to suspend the state’s affordable housing law until their lawsuit agains the state is resolved, reports Mike Hayes in Gothamist. “The towns claim the law unfairly requires them to build more and more housing without accounting for how much development they can truly support,” a common complaint from cities in New Jersey and other states where similar legislation is in place, such as California.
The towns also claim the law is unconstitutional because it exempts some urban centers designated as “urban aid municipalities.” These are cities with certain characteristics such as high unemployment rates, lower-than-average incomes, or high population density. “Many of these towns are also already home to public housing developments and income-restricted units.” These urban communities are still required to create over 40,000 new homes by rehabilitating existing units.
FULL STORY: NJ towns suing to overturn state’s affordable housing rules ask court to put rules on hold

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.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

Portland Raises Parking Fees to Pay for Street Maintenance
The city is struggling to bridge a massive budget gap at the Bureau of Transportation, which largely depleted its reserves during the Civd-19 pandemic.

Spokane Mayor Introduces Housing Reforms Package
Mayor Lisa Brown’s proposals include deferring or waiving some development fees to encourage more affordable housing development.

Houston Mayor Kills Another Bike Lane
The mayor rejected a proposed bike lane in the Montrose district in keeping with his pledge to maintain car lanes.
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Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
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City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
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Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
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