Local Control
Developer Sues L.A. After Area Planning Commissioners Reject Multi-Family Project
A development controversy also now an expanding legal controversy, after a local planning commission rejected a controversial development proposal allowed by zoning.
Upzoning and Affordability, Explained
Upzoning is gaining popularity among planners and politicians in parts of the country as a tool for affordability. But some opponents of the idea maintain that new density will only make housing affordability worse.
Updated: Statewide Upzoning Falls Short Again in California
For the third year in a row, an effort to increase density near transit in statewide in California has stalled in the legislature.
Virginia Upzoning and Accessory Dwelling Unit Bills Killed Quickly in Committee
The Land Use subcommittee of the Virginia House of Delegates decided quickly to uphold local control of zoning.
Overcoming the Obstacles of Land Use for Renewable Energy
Renewable energy, both wind and solar, takes up a lot of space in places that aren't accustomed to industrial development. Policymakers need strategies and tactics for overcoming the inherent land use challenges presented by renewable energy.
What Is Local Control?
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.
What Is State Preemption?
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.
'Missing Middle Housing Act' Would Allow More Housing Options in Nebraska Residential Areas
The ranks of states considering or taking steps to override local control to allow new density in the residential neighborhoods of cities has swelled once again, this time with a state senator in Nebraska pitching statewide legislation.
Court Overrules San Jose on California Housing Law
A court ruling means a state law intended to spur affordable housing development by providing incentives for the sale of surplus public land will apply equally in every city in California.
Evaluating the Results of New Protections for Affordable Housing Development
California's Senate Bill 35 is touted by affordable housing advocates and other pro-development forces as an example of what good developments can happen when local obstructions are moved out of the way by the state.
Opinion: End the City Council Land Use Veto
"Member deference" is what they call it New York, but many local elected officials in the United States have veto power over land use and development plans.
Editorial: Reform, Don't Ban, Red Light Camera Programs
The Chicago Sun-Times responds to two Illinois state legislators who have recently proposed bills that would ban red light cameras statewide.
5G Forces a Local Control Struggle
Local governments are fighting control after federal regulators removed some of the regulatory protections that could slow private companies from grabbing land in an effort
Lower Speed Limits Included in Early Vision Zero Recommendations for Minneapolis
A report on how to implement Vision Zero traffic safety improvements in the city of Minneapolis included an ambitious menu of options, including lower speed limits citywide.
New Paper: Exclusionary Zoning Is a National Problem in Need of Federal Action
A new paper published by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University raises the stakes of the discussion about exclusionary zoning and its role in the ongoing housing affordability crisis in the United States.
Housing Policy Preemption for Red States
While statewide efforts to loosen zoning restrictions have made news in (mostly) blue states like California and Oregon, (mostly) red states like Florida have been preventing local governments from passing their own housing policies.
What Made It Possible for Oregon to End Single-Family Zoning?
Factors beyond political chance played into Oregon's recent decision to legalize missing middle housing. One key point: the state was already halfway there.
Report: Lack of Apartments Contributes to the Housing Affordability Crisis
It's going to take "radical policies" and "political courage" to overcome the housing shortage in California, according to a recent working paper, but they will be necessary to overcome the negative consequences of the planning and zoning status quo.
History Made: Oregon Legislature Ends Single-Family Zoning
A bill that seemed like it could be a casualty of a bitter partisan feud managed to squeak under the wire. With Governor Kate Brown's signature, single-family zoning will be prohibited throughout the state of Oregon.
More Details on the Trump Administration's Sudden Pro-Development Moves
New efforts by the Trump administration to potentially curtail local land use regulations require closer examination.
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.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
Montrose County
Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA)
The Pocatello Development Authority
