Stamford, Connecticut's Downtown Special Services District knew that their zoning was causing needless delays and roadblocks to development. They hired the Regional Plan Association to do something about it.
"Developers have complained of difficulty in navigating the process, which often involves special exceptions and amendments to current regulations, DSSD President Sandra Goldstein said Tuesday night in a presentation before planning and zoning board members.
"We realized, as did the Urban Redevelopment Commission, that there were more planning and zoning exceptions to our zoning regulations than straight applications," said Goldstein, whose agency is a special taxing district that promotes downtown businesses and services. "Developers were at a loss about what zoning was for the downtown.""
Read the full story: Study looks at rewriting zoning laws for downtown
Connecticut developer fee brought in $8M for affordable housing — but fewer affordable homes are being built
A new report from the city of Stamford highlights how letting developers pay into an affordable housing fund has led to a sharp drop in permits for new affordable units.
A Small Town Makes its First Zoning Update Since 1997
Mixed-use development and a floodplain overlay are the big-ticket items when the small community of Akron Borough in Pennsylvania recently updated its zoning code.
Pittsburgh Moves Ahead With Zoning Changes for University-Adjacent Neighborhood
The implementation of a new master plan for the neighborhood of Oakland, home to the University of Pittsburgh, is moving forward despite controversy and a contentious community engagement process.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Chicago voters approve permanent festival grounds, penalty for vacant property owners
Currently, major summer and fall festivals take over public parks for weeks at a time, drawing criticism from nearby residents
NYC votes to cut outdoor dining red tape, speed up permitting
New York City also voted to allow the Department of Transportation to begin work on urgent projects before notifying elected officials.
California appears to reject Prop. 45
The proposition would have expanded the projects that qualify for a streamlined environmental review, effectively paring down the California Environmental Quality Act.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority