Residents and county officials are tired of seeing their open land disappear with little benefit going to the community at large, and as a result have begun holding developers to higher standards.
"Few residents ever get developers to walk away from an opportunity to turn fallow groves and pasture into pricey homes. But in Orange County, residents -- and, more importantly, their elected officials -- now are demanding more than ever from those who want to cash in on the county's remaining open land." Emerson International recently raised the bar for other builders in the area by pledging a unprecednented number of consessions. "Design standards spell out everything from "hooded" lighting to keep the skies dark to the type of trees to be used in a promised buffer between the 2,850-home golf community and its neighbors. The developer also agreed to restore some wildlife habitat and provide an equestrian trail connecting the rural settlement to a large preserve."..."The developer has agreed to just about everything we have asked for, except to go away," said one resident.
Thanks to Christian Peralta
FULL STORY: Developers face tougher time getting green light
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?
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.
Sean Duffy Targets Rainbow Crosswalks in Road Safety Efforts
Despite evidence that colorful crosswalks actually improve intersection safety — and the lack of almost any crosswalks at all on the nation’s most dangerous arterial roads — U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy is calling on states to remove them.
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