Municipalities are increasingly ready to meet the rising demands by residents who want to raise their own chickens for food.
"Forget growing your own vegetables - cutting-edge locavores are now pushing backyard honey, eggs and milk. Researchers with the American Planning Association say that in the past six months they've fielded more questions about livestock ordinances than almost any other topic.
Colorado zoning consultant Christopher Duerksen is trying to simplify some of the answers. He's putting together a model sustainability code for cities trying to green up their rules.
Asked how city planners tend to react when they hear the word 'chicken,' Duerksen quips: 'They tend to squawk. I think most planners, like most people, don't think of urban areas as food producing areas, but that's changing with the cost of food and questions about the health of food. And so we're seeing a real change in mindset among urban planners.'
This means residents can now keep bees in Denver or raise a mini-goat in Seattle. But the real rock stars of this movement are chickens.
Urban livestock researcher Jennifer Blecha says that in recent years a dozen or more cities annually have joined the pro-chicken flock. And she says chicken advocates are starting to get more organized."
FULL STORY: City Folk Flock To Raise Small Livestock At Home

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

USGS Water Science Centers Targeted for Closure
If their work is suspended, states could lose a valuable resource for monitoring, understanding, and managing water resources.

End Human Sacrifices to the Demanding Gods of Automobile Dependency and Sprawl
The U.S. has much higher traffic fatality rates than peer countries due to automobile dependency and sprawl. Better planning can reduce these human sacrifices.

Seattle Transit Asked to Clarify Pet Policy
A major dog park near a new light rail stop is prompting calls to update and clarify rules for bringing pets on Seattle-area transit systems.

Oregon Bill Would End Bans on Manufactured Housing
The bill would prevent new developments from prohibiting mobile homes and modular housing.

Nashville Doesn’t Renew Bike Share Contract, Citing Lost Federal Funding
The city’s bike share system, operated by BCycle, could stop operating if the city doesn’t find a new source of funding.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
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