The proposed Florida Hometown Democracy constitutional amendment calls for citizens to vote directly on whether to make changes in local comprehensive plans, instead of elected officials advised by professional and citizen planners.
"The idea of ballot box comp plan amendments, initiated by activist Lesley Blackner,has separated groups that are normally joined. Sierra Club supports the idea and has funded the effort to get it on the ballot. Another backer is the strongly anti-immigration group Floridians for a Sustainable Population."
"Charles Lee of the Audubon Society, says "At first blush, this is really an easy petition to sign. I signed it." But Audubon, after lengthy discussions, decided 'Hometown Democracy' raised too many questions without solid answers."
"Former State Department of Community Affairs Secretary Linda Loomis Shelley called the prospect ill-conceived. Shelley says the amendment would allow voters to nullify state decisions such as mandates on school concurrency. She pointed out that comp-plan changes can run to hundreds of pages of data and analysis that the voter would not see on the ballot."
"As Blackner sees it, immigration and migration make accommodating growth a Sisyphean task for Florida cities. 'The place looks like hell and is getting worse.'"
Thanks to Sheryl Stolzenberg
FULL STORY: Who's Lesley Blackner?
How Would Project 2025 Affect America’s Transportation System?
Long story short, it would — and not in a good way.
California Law Ends Road Widening Mandates
Housing developers will no longer be required to dedicate land to roadway widening, which could significantly reduce the cost of construction and support more housing units.
But... Europe
European cities and nations tend to have less violent crime than the United States. Is government social welfare spending the magic bullet that explains this difference?
California Room to Roam Act Prioritizes Wildlife Connectivity
A new state law requires new development and infrastructure to minimize disruption to local wildlife habitats and migration patterns.
Oregon Releases Historic Preservation Plan for Next Decade
A plan from the state’s State Historic Preservation Commission outlines priorities for preserving Oregon’s cultural and historic resources.
Austin’s Vision for I-35 Cap Parks Takes Final Shape
The city’s plan includes parks, entertainment pavilions, commercial space, sports fields, and other facilities over 30 acres of deck parks spanning a sunken Interstate 35.
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.
Placer County
Mayors' Institute on City Design
City of Sunnyvale
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Cornell University's College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (AAP), the Department of City and Regional Planning (CRP)
Lehigh Valley Planning Commission
City of Portland, ME
Baton Rouge Area Foundation