Planners around Texas are worried that Houston's deals with municipal utility districts will hamper regional development strategies.
Largely blocked from annexation following a contentious battle eight years ago, America's Fourth City is entering into "strategic partnership agreements' with unincorporated commercial districts. In these deals, Houston and the rural area split the higher sales tax while the city promises not to annex the suburb for 30 years. Advocates think hundreds of these schemes will damage efforts to promote regional cooperation in the notoriously-sprawling metropolis.
Thanks to Jeffrey Goodman
FULL STORY: Houston growing with use of MUDs

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

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.

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?
Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

In California Battle of Housing vs. Environment, Housing Just Won
A new state law significantly limits the power of CEQA, an environmental review law that served as a powerful tool for blocking new development.

Boulder Eliminates Parking Minimums Citywide
Officials estimate the cost of building a single underground parking space at up to $100,000.

Orange County, Florida Adopts Largest US “Sprawl Repair” Code
The ‘Orange Code’ seeks to rectify decades of sprawl-inducing, car-oriented development.
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