Land Use

Prohibiting single-family zoning alone won’t accomplish the needed transformation of the built environment in the United States.

August 31, 2022 - American Planning Association

Although it is widely seen as a national issue, decisions made at the local level often have a stronger impact on inflation than federal policies.

August 2, 2022 - Vox

Height limits are a critical component of almost every zoning code in the United States.

June 3, 2021 - James Brasuell

Floor area ratio (FAR) is a critical measurement to the field of planning. FAR defines development intensity and determines numerous other regulations and development outcomes.

March 24, 2021 - James Brasuell

Market-rate housing is a term used to define housing generated by the real estate market without direct subsidy. The price the market sets for housing, even without subsidies, is a direct outcome of policies and practices of planning.

February 24, 2021 - James Brasuell

Single-family zoning is by far the most common form of zoning in the United States, but it's facing increasing criticisms both for its discriminatory origins and its sprawling effects.

February 23, 2021 - James Brasuell

Density is a controversial topic, but public opinion on the opportunities and risks of density have shifted in recent decades. To many, density now has a positive connotation.

February 23, 2021 - James Brasuell

The term affordable housing refers to housing units that cost less than a predetermined percentage of household incomes. Planners use affordable housing as a general term to describe housing that doesn't put an excessive financial burden on its occupants.

January 10, 2021 - Diana Ionescu

The United States has a long and insidious history of erecting structures to control the movements of African Americans in urban and suburban spaces.

December 9, 2020 - Places Journal

Form-based codes are a variety of development regulation that departs significantly from the land use control approach of most zoning codes in the United States.

July 16, 2020 - James Brasuell

Land use might seem self explanatory, but it has a very specific meaning in the context of U.S. planning history.

June 23, 2020 - James Brasuell

In a city where owning a car can be an expensive burden, off-street parking spaces are still highly desired commodities.

April 3, 2020 - The New York Times

Identifying potential hubs and activity centers allows regions to foster economic growth and density.

March 16, 2020 - The Avenue (Brookings)

Long an urban norm, mixed-use neighborhoods fell out of favor in the United States in the automobile age as single-use zoning became common. These days, mixed-use development is back in vogue, but implementation remains a challenge.

February 22, 2020 - Philip Rojc

State preemption and local control are two of the most controversial and contested concepts in land use. Understanding when and where one or the other takes precedence is key to understanding the politics and governance of planning.

January 16, 2020 - James Brasuell

State preemption and local control are two of the most controversial and contested concepts in land use. Understanding when and where each one takes precedence is key to understanding the politics and governance of planning.

January 14, 2020 - James Brasuell

Ngoc Hong Nguyen of the University of Danang writes about a recent article he authored in the Journal of Planning Education and Research

November 5, 2019 - JPER

Research questions and findings from Penn IUR's emerging scholars.

August 31, 2019 - Penn IUR Urban Link

Critics say transportation officials have failed to address the potential equity and displacement effects of the Southern California streetcar project.

June 19, 2019 - Next City

Failing golf courses pose a choice for cities that can use tax dollars to turn them public or put the land to use in other ways.

June 12, 2019 - Crain's Chicago Business