If we want to improve our cities, we should start by throwing away the traditional municipal zoning code.
"If Americans built homes the way they build cities and suburbs, it would be illegal for your bedroom, bathroom and kitchen to be under the same roof," writes Ventura County Star senior reporter John Krist, after attending a talk by author and planner Peter Katz.
"As labels go, 'form-based codes' is pretty terrible. The concept it embodies, however, is one many communities ought to consider embracing, particularly those --like most in Ventura County -- facing political or physical constraints on their ability to accommodate population growth and economic development. Managers in Ventura and Santa Paula already are taking a hard look at it, as they focus on imaginative redevelopment of their aging urban fabric."
Thanks to The Practice of New Urbanism
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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
New tax cuts may slash $1.5 billion in funding for Miami transit, public parks
Amendment 3 will save Miami-Dade residents homeowners $2,700 in 2028.
Arizona, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania hope to finally advance climate goals post-midterms
The three states have spent years under Republican or divided control.
Democrats’ victory may threaten act to expedite energy projects
Democrats may decide to vote against the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act, and negotiate a more favorable bill once the 120th Congress begins.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority