The New York Times devotes significant ink to an argument against the use of zoning laws as tools of anti-growth politics.

[Updated 7/6/2017] The headline of a recent article by Conor Daugherty argues a strong claim about planning politics: "Anti-Growth Sentiment, Reflected in Zoning Laws, Thwarts Equality."
The article begins in Boulder, using Steve Pomerance, a former city councilmember that moved to Boulder in the 1960s, as an example of anti-growth advocate. Pomerance, according to Dougherty's description, believes that all of Boulder's charms are under threat: "Rush-hour traffic has become horrendous. Quaint, two-story storefronts are being dwarfed by glass and steel. Cars park along the road to the meadow."
Daugherty offers a counterpoint to those traditional anti-growth political stances: "a growing body of economic literature suggests that anti-growth sentiment, when multiplied across countless unheralded local development battles, is a major factor in creating a stagnant and less equal American economy."
That growing body of research includes a study by Peter Ganong and Daniel Shoag from January 2015, titled "Why Has Regional Income Convergence in the U.S. Declined?" [pdf]. Their work was also picked up by the White House Council of Economic Advisers last year, as the Obama Administration made its first attempt to debunk land use regulations as a tool of social and economic injustice. Daugherty also includes work by Chang-Tai Hsieh and Enrico Moretti [pdf] in the survey of research detailing the consequences of the zoning status quo.
[The photo caption was corrected above.]
FULL STORY: How Anti-Growth Sentiment, Reflected in Zoning Laws, Thwarts Equality

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.

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network
The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.

New State Study Suggests Homelessness Far Undercounted in New Mexico
An analysis of hospital visit records provided a more accurate count than the annual point-in-time count used by most agencies.

Michigan Bills Would Stiffen Penalties for Deadly Crashes
Proposed state legislation would close a ‘legal gap’ that lets drivers who kill get away with few repercussions.

Report: Bus Ridership Back to 86 Percent of Pre-Covid Levels
Transit ridership around the country was up by 85 percent in all modes in 2024.
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 Moorpark
City of Tustin
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