Cultural changes and 'disruptions' created by the 'sharing' economy are challenging planners just as they're challenging their own competitors. Bill Fulton assesses the brave new world that might liberate planners—or befuddle them.
"Planners, for the most part, write and implement regulations that seek to plan for and control land uses. They do so for a variety of well-established reasons – ensuring that public health and safety are protected, but also helping to stimulate, shape, and channel the supply of built space so that the interests of a given community are balanced against the demands of the marketplace."
"But how can you possibly plan for and control land uses when every bedroom is a hotel room, and every dining room is a restaurant, and every coffee shop is an office, and conversely every office is a potential living room or dining room or bedroom?"
"The needs for parks, libraries, schools, and lots of other public facilities is all based on formulas tied to land uses. Residential densities determine the number of housing units (based on formulas tied to land use), which in turn determines the need for all these facilities (based on formulas that assume household size and composition), which in turn determines the need for both public investment and impact fees."
"In a certain way, this is pretty liberating for planners – kind of an extension of the form-based code movement, which focuses more on urban design than on the specific uses contained within buildings. Instead of micro-managing private development through regulation, California’s planners could rediscover the kind of planning that originated with Daniel Burnham and the Olmsteads: Focusing on created a beautiful and well-functioning public realm, around which the developers can build private projects that respond to the market."
FULL STORY: The Tech Housing Crunch’s Fracking Dilemma
S.F. Bay Area City Says It Wants More Housing—But Votes Down Project
The project included everything San Bruno and residents asked for, and it would have helped the city make significant progress in addressing its growing housing crisis. Still, it was voted down.
California’s Inheritance Tax Break Is Helping Some Much More Than Others
An inheritance tax benefit, along with Proposition 13, has resulted in lower tax rates passing down through generations and billions of dollars in lost tax revenue.
San Francisco Board of Supervisors Propose 60-Day Hard Cap on Airbnb Rentals
Tensions between Airbnb and the city of San Francisco continue to mount as the city propose further restrictions on the service, even while the current restrictions are being challenged in court.
Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs
Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.
HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands
The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.
Conservatives’ Decongestion Pricing Flip-Flop
When it comes to solving traffic problems, the current federal administration is on track for failure, waste, and hypocrisy.
Can Geothermal Energy Fuel Hawaiʻi’s Future?
Gavin Murphy, a New Zealand-based consultant with experience in indigenous-led geothermal projects, argues that Hawaiʻi is poised to achieve energy independence and economic growth by respectfully developing its untapped geothermal resources.
Climate Gardening: Cultivating Resilient Landscapes in Los Angeles
TreePeople’s 4th Annual Urban Soil Symposium explored how climate gardening, soil health, and collaborative land management strategies can enhance urban resilience in the face of climate change.
Electric Surge: EV Chargers Outnumber Gas Nozzles in California
California now has 48% more electric vehicle chargers than gasoline nozzles, reflecting its rapid shift toward clean transportation and aggressive zero-emission goals despite federal pushback.
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.
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