Barriers to better development patterns are often rooted in stormwater permits and related codes and regulations.
"For stormwater control, many smart growth techniques can be considered to be BMPs [best management practices] because they control or prevent stormwater-related problems. For example, redevelopment, vacant property initiatives and 'Main Street' programs can be regarded as highly effective policies for stormwater control when they absorb development demand that would locate in undeveloped reaches of a watershed. In fact, language in EPAs model permit and guidance documents, which were adopted in many state and local permitting authorities, lists infill as a stormwater strategy.
...The stormwater management plan provides the roadmap for how controls will be set at the site, neighborhood, and occasionally, the watershed level. You should read these plans to see where there may be barriers or opportunities for smart growth."
Thanks to Ashwani Vasishth
FULL STORY: New Stormwater Laws: What Smart Growth Advocates Need to Know

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.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Half of Post-Fire Altadena Home Sales Were to Corporations
Large investors are quietly buying up dozens of properties in Altadena, California, where a devastating wildfire destroyed more than 6,000 homes in January.

Opinion: What San Francisco’s Proposed ‘Family Zoning’ Could Really Mean
Mayor Lurie is using ‘family zoning’ to encourage denser development and upzoning — but could the concept actually foster community and more human-scale public spaces?

Jacksonville Launches First Autonomous Transit Shuttle in US
A fleet of 14 fully autonomous vehicles will serve a 3.5-mile downtown Jacksonville route with 12 stops.
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.
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont