Responding to pressure from neighborhood residents and a poor grade from a government audit, the city's planning department will be reorganized to ensure proper procedures are followed.
"The Salt Lake City Planning Department, shaken by claims of favoritism and failing to follow permit procedures, will be reorganized, according to Community Development Director Louis Zunguze.
The department will remain open for business, Zunguze said Wednesday, but over the next 90 days, managers will begin to develop clear planning standards and ensure that developers and residents who come for services know what they need to do and what the department itself is required to do.
The shake-up comes during a time when residents' frustration over Planning Department behavior has reached a crisis point.
Continuing frustrations include monster homes and garages, as well as a lack of consistency on policing new projects.
Residents also have claimed - to no avail - that the department has approved changes to historical neighborhoods without due process.
A city-commissioned performance audit and widespread discontent among members of community councils spurred Zunguze's move."
FULL STORY: SLC planning department due overhaul after claims of favoritism, procedural lapses

Good Planning Under Bad Leadership
Planners must sometimes work under bad leadership. Here are suggestions for responsive planning in challenging political environments.

Legendary Parking Guru Donald Shoup Dies at 86
Urbanists are mourning the loss of a dynamic voice for parking reform and walkable cities.

Amtrak Cascades Line Breaks Ridership Record
The route linking Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver, BC served nearly one million riders in 2024.

Over 71K Office-to-Apartment Units in the Pipeline for 2025
Adaptive reuse projects are continuing to bring thousands of new housing units onto the market as demand for office space remains low.

How Houston Can Be a Model for Housing Reform
The city builds more new housing than almost any other and has dramatically reduced homelessness, yet low-income families struggle to find affordable housing.

Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.
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 Brookings
City of White Salmon
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service