Author Robert Bruegmann and activist Gloria Ohland debate Smart Growth.
Ohland: "Smart growth makes sense for every kind of city because it isn't a choice, really...Because smart growth is the only way we can begin to limit the number of vehicle miles traveled, it is an important solution to these many problems. And that is why we must practice smart growth...The real estate market is coming back to urban core neighborhoods and suburban town centers all across the United States for the first time in 50 years."
Breugmann: The reason the majority of people in every urban region in the affluent West use automobiles for most of their trips today is because, on average, automobiles are twice as fast as mass transit..This is why residents of dense cities, even with highly developed public transportation systems, spend longer getting to work than residents of low-density places where almost everyone drives...In fact if we didn't have the polarizing debate about sprawl and smart growth, it would probably be easier to tackle our transportation problems."
FULL STORY: Is it smart to grow off the grid?
Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs
Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.
HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands
The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.
Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?
Study: Larger Vehicles Lead to More Congestion
New research links large SUVs to lower traffic throughput.
Connecticut Assembly to Reconsider TOD Bill
The ‘Work, Live, Ride’ bill would prioritize funding for designated transit-oriented zones to encourage denser development near transit.
New Jersey Affordable Housing Law Turns 50
The Mount Laurel Doctrine tasks each city and town with creating enough affordable housing to meet their needs, but half a century after its passage, the law still faces opposition in some parts of the state.
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.
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