Eleven Amish families have sued their own town for religious discrimination in its building code.
"In the past, town officials have said they were asking the Amish to comply with the same building codes that apply to other residents.
The plaintiffs are members of the Old Order Swartzentruber sect, among the most traditional of the Amish groups. They don't deny building houses without permits and have said they were willing to purchase building permits, but contend that the requirements of the codes - such as having smoke detectors, submitting engineering plans and allowing inspections - violate their religious beliefs.
Since 2006 - when the town's codes were updated - Morristown officials have brought more than 10 separate prosecutions against the Amish, the lawsuit said."
FULL STORY: Amish file religious discrimination lawsuit over upstate NY town's building-code enforcement
Judge Halts EPA Action in ‘Cancer Alley’ Civil Rights Case
EPA investigations into violations of the Civil Rights Act in Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley” were ruled as “federal overreach.”
Op-Ed: Making Housing More Affordable Through Modular Construction
A relatively minor change to the federal government’s regulations on modular construction could bring down the cost of building and deploying modular housing to more communities facing housing shortages.
Chicago Looks to Boulder Landlord Registry as a Model for Tenant Protections
Unlike the Colorado city, where code violations in rental housing are quickly identified and fixed, Chicago lacks a robust system of inspection and enforcement.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
New Park Opens in the Santa Clarita Valley
The City of Santa Clarita just celebrated the grand opening of its 38th park, the 10.5-acre Skyline Ranch Park.
U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
How Urban Form Impacts Housing Affordability
The way we design cities affects housing costs differently than you might think.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
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.
