North Carolina city dwellers have taken eating locally to a new level by raising their own chickens for eggs. Controversy ensues.
"City ordinances about keeping chickens vary widely across the state. In Cary, they're not allowed except on properties with more than an acre within the town's rural district. In Raleigh, chickens are so accepted that proud owners show off their backyard coops in a springtime tour called the Tour d'Coop.
In May, city officials recently voted to loosen Winston-Salem's ordinance. For $100, people who want chickens or pigeons but who don't have much land can now apply for a special-use permit through the city's planning office. The change was made to accommodate property owners recently annexed into the city. Their lots were too small under the city ordinance to keep poultry.
Without the permit, the ordinance requires a chicken coop to be placed at least 150 feet from all property lines. The average city lot is between 9,000 and 12,000 square feet -- too small to meet those requirements, said Kirk Ericson, a project planner with the city/county planning board. At a minimum, a property owner would need 22,500 square feet of land, or a little more than a half-acre, to make the setback. Practically speaking, a property owner would need more space for their house and, if they wanted chickens, a coop."
FULL STORY: Hens in the City: Regulations are being challenged as people take 'eating locally' another step

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.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

Car Designs Make it Harder to See Pedestrians
Blind spots created by thicker pillars built to withstand rollover crashes are creating dangerous conditions for people outside vehicles.

Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions
An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.

What Happens if Trump Kills Section 8?
The Trump admin aims to slash federal rental aid by nearly half and shift distribution to states. Experts warn this could spike homelessness and destabilize communities nationwide.
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.
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie