Portland, Oregon planners are updating the city's zoning to make home improvements for solar panels and eco-roofing easier to do, but some developers think it will actually make things more difficult.
Nathalie Weinstein writes, "As solar panels and eco-roofs become nearly as common as doors or windows, new code amendments would allow faster permitting of those green features on certain structures.
An exemption for solar panels and eco-roofs would allow those improvements to be added to existing buildings without triggering a design review, as long as nothing else is being done to the building."
FULL STORY: Greening zoning codes to match city’s sustainable mindset
France to Require Green Roofs for Commercial Buildings
The French Parliament has approved legislation requiring commercial buildings to partially cover their rooftops in either plants or solar panels.
Green Zoning Advances in New York
Tom Stoelker reports on the progress of New York City's Zone Green initiative, a comprehensive effort to make it easier to construct green buildings and retrofit existing ones, that passed the City Planning Commission unanimously this past week.
California Leads in Solar Rooftops
A combination of state and local incentives and building code mandates has helped California far outpace other states in residential rooftop solar permits.
Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.
US Senate Reverses California EV Mandate
The state planned to phase out the sale of gas-powered cars by 2035, a goal some carmakers deemed impossible to meet.
Trump Cuts Decimate Mapping Agency
The National Geodetic Survey maintains and updates critical spatial reference systems used extensively in both the public and private sectors.
Washington Passes First US ‘Shared Streets’ Law
Cities will be allowed to lower speed limits to 10 miles per hour and prioritize pedestrians on certain streets.
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 Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions