First Amendment
Lawsuit Challenges Zoning to Limit Church Soup Kitchens
Local residents of Brookings, Oregon say a local church's meal services during the pandemic were attracting crime and vagrancy, so the city passed a zoning ordinance that limited the number of days the church could serve meals to two a week.
SCOTUS: Freedom of Religion Trumps Public Health in a Pandemic
In a late-night 5-4 ruling on the eve of Thanksgiving, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a governor's executive order to stem the spread of a contagious virus can not impede the right of people to gather in a church.
U.S. Supreme Court Rules on State-Imposed Social Distancing Restrictions
In a 5-4 decision, the court voted to uphold the prohibition of religious services that was part of California Gov. Gavin Newsom's stay-at-home order. While the restriction had since been loosened, the plaintiff wanted all restrictions removed.
Religion in the Pandemic: First Amendment vs. Public Health and Safety
Conflicts between church and state are being decided in state and federal courts as governors act to protect their constituents from the coronavirus while religious institutions and their supporters seek exceptions from social gathering restrictions.
Another Sign Code Goes Down in Flames
The sign code for North Redington Beach, Florida has been found in violation of the First Amendment, following a dispute with a local café.
Ohio Man's Zombie Nativity Scene Deemed an Accessory Structure
A man's front yard nativity scene featuring zombies was declared an accessory structure, in violation of the zoning code, because it had a roof
Colorado Springs Transit Agency in Hot Water for Censoring Religious Advertisements
This might be a cautionary tale for some other transit agencies out there.
Are freeway overpasses curtailing public discourse?
Freeway overpasses instead of town squares are now often selected as the preferred public space to promote a non-commercial point of view, but such messaging does little to enhance public discourse, writes planner and urbanist Howard Blackson.
Confederate Flag Debate Spreading to Federal Transportation Funding
An Ohio Senator hopes to use the transportation reauthorization bill to motivate states that issue license plates bearing the Confederate flag to remove them. A week ago the Supreme Court ruled states can do so without violating the first amendment.
Cities Lose Supreme Court Case on Sign Regulation
The Supreme Court, in two separate opinions, unanimously ruled on June 18 against an Arizona town's sign regulation that denied the placement of a street sign based on its content. At question was a sign directing passers-by to a church service.
Property Rights, First Amendment at Issue Over Confederate War Memorial
150 years ago yesterday Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to Ulysses S. Grant and the Army of the Potomac, ending the Civil War. The ancestors of the Confederacy not live in a country protected by the First Amendment.
Billboards, Big Money, and (Political) Blight
Planners typically pay attention to the Supreme Court when a Fifth Amendment case, like Kelo v. New London, comes along. The recent McCutcheon decision is a case in which the court could have paid attention to planners.
Of Felonies, the First Amendment, and Franks
A successful small business in Chicago has ruffled some feathers in a neighborhood grappling with crime and poverty. Why? Because Felony Franks is too unsavory a name, even for a hot dog stand that employs ex-convicts.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
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