In a move to limit the number of properties available for rental, the San Diego City Council members voted 6-3 to limit rentals to primary homes and the licensing process more strict.
A new law in San Diego would only allow the rental of primary residences, making it illegal to rent out second homes. "The council vote was 6 to 3, with council members Scott Sherman, David Alvarez and Chris Cate dissenting," Lori Weisberg and Rob Nikolewski report for the San Diego Union Tribune. The legislation would also give rental properties a $949 annual licensing fee which may be the highest in the United States. The move also makes it illegal to rent ADUs, but the council is said to be considering revisiting that issue.
Airbnb and other short-term rental companies have long been a hot issue in the city; opponents to short-term rentals argue that the popularity of the services is making housing unaffordable in the city. Those in favor of short-term rentals counter that tourism is a driving force in the city and short-term rentals help attract tourists with money into the city. "In taking the action it did on Monday, the council is following the lead of other big cities, like San Francisco, New York and Paris, which, too, have limited short-term rentals to residents’ primary homes," Weisberg and Nikolewski report.
FULL STORY: San Diego council votes to limit Airbnb rentals to primary residences only
Airbnb Limitations Fall Short in California Legislature
A state bill that would have limited the number of short-term rentals in the coastal areas of San Diego County has been delayed until next year's legislative session.
San Diego’s Short-Term Rental Ordinance, One Year in
Since enacting a spate of regulations on short-term rentals, the city has removed over 7,000 illegal listings from online platforms.
That ADU Would Make a Nice Airbnb
An Airbnb co-founder is jumping in the pre-fab backyard cottage game—but will too many ADUs become short-term rentals to make a difference for housing costs?
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers
Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses
Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.
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.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association