Land Use

How strategic land use policy decisions can alleviate the housing crisis and limit unsustainable sprawl.

December 11, 2024 - John D. Landis

New York’s 1960s-era zoning code still prohibits dancing in small bars and restaurants in more than 80 percent of the city, but Mayor Eric Adams and advocates want to change that.

May 16, 2023 - Mark H. McNulty

A new feature on the Brooklyn waterfront is a reminder that Domino Sugar has made several unsavory appearances in the history of Puerto Rican communities.

May 2, 2023 - Mark H. McNulty

Multiple statewide land use reform proposals are up for debate in the Nutmeg State. Which, if any, will become law?

February 27, 2023 - Mark H. McNulty

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