The Boston suburb of Boxford is on the verge of approving a measure that would allow residents to rent extra housing space at state affordable housing prices. Boxford and other suburbs are looking to reduce their low stock of affordable housing.
"Boxford would join a small number of other Massachusetts communities targeting what are commonly known as "in-law" apartments in efforts to diversify their housing."
"Traditional accessory apartments are separate units created within a home for immediate relatives. The Boxford bylaw would allow those units to be rented to nonrelatives at state-recognized affordable rates."
"In Boxford, where the average single-family home is valued at $675,000, just 0.7 percent of the housing stock -- or 19 units -- is affordable, well below the 10 percent figure required by the state to keep developers from bypassing local zoning rules for projects built under Chapter 40B, the affordable housing law."
"The town's percentage is the lowest in the region."
FULL STORY: Low-cost housing messages are mixed

Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

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

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network
The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.

New State Study Suggests Homelessness Far Undercounted in New Mexico
An analysis of hospital visit records provided a more accurate count than the annual point-in-time count used by most agencies.

Michigan Bills Would Stiffen Penalties for Deadly Crashes
Proposed state legislation would close a ‘legal gap’ that lets drivers who kill get away with few repercussions.

Report: Bus Ridership Back to 86 Percent of Pre-Covid Levels
Transit ridership around the country was up by 85 percent in all modes in 2024.
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.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions