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Density
The first month of a three-year pilot program that legalizes the construction and conversion of coach houses—a local form of accessory dwelling unit—is responding to strong demand in Chicago.
Chicago Tribune
New research assesses the land value of street space in 20 of the largest counties in the United States.
Bloomberg CityLab
Advocates and political supporters are calling HB 1607 an incremental, first step, after the process of building a winning political coalition cut back some of the original ambition of the statewide zoning reform effort.
Hartford Courant
Despite slowing population growth statewide, officials believe the region will "grow into" the new rail system if cities promote dense development around transit stations.
San Diego Union-Tribune
Residents in some of the city's single-family neighborhoods worry about the potential impacts of ADU construction on local character and parking.
San Diego Union-Tribune
Blog post
Let's rely on science, not ideology and propaganda, when planning solutions to urban unaffordability. Look for credible evidence in the peer-reviewed publications referenced here.
Smart policies can ensure that low- and moderate-income households can find suitable housing in good neighborhoods where transportation costs are low. The research is clear: upzoning works.
Governing
The proposal would let non-profits build housing developments of up to six stories without a public rezoning process in mid-rise neighborhoods.
The Province
Policies too narrowly focused on design can drive up the cost of construction and prevent the development of affordable housing.
Slate
Resistance mounts to the zoning reforms gaining traction in the United States.
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Less restrictive permit laws and pre-fabricated, pre-approved building options are spurring more homeowners to build backyard additions.
Bloomberg CityLab
Dorothy Walker has spent decades working to eliminate housing discrimination. In February, the city council finally agreed.
Grist
As e-commerce giants like Amazon build more and more facilities, advocates say a regional approach is needed to prevent sprawl and look beyond local benefits.
NJ Spotlight
Members of the Cleveland Chapter if the American Institute of Architects are raising awareness about the unintended consequences of zoning changes made in 2018 to make it easier to develop townhomes in the city.
Cleveland.com
Blog post
Patrick Condon's new book, "Sick City: Disease, Race, Inequality and Urban Land" recommends tax reforms and housing subsidies to create more affordable and inclusive communities. It is attractive propaganda that deserves critical analysis.
To fix the housing crisis, cities should focus on "missing middle housing" and multi-family development.
In These Times
If implemented, Home in Tacoma would create new housing categories to encourage more multi-family buildings.
MyNorthwest
Feature
A proposed package of reforms working through the Connecticut Legislature would loosen zoning codes in a state traditionally committed to single-family zoning.
Michael Storper and Patrick Condon opine on what California's population demographics really reveal about housing, density, economic development, jobs, and affordability.
The Planning Report
Patrick Condon argues that increasing density without affordability inflates urban land values, resulting in nearly all of the value of labor and creative enterprise of entrepreneurs in regional economies being absorbed as land wealth.
The Planning Report
