Local Control

Expo Line LA Skyline

LA Times: City Council Should Take Responsibility for Lack of Transit Oriented Development

The Los Angeles Times editorial board has strong words for the Los Angeles City Council about planning for transit oriented development.

June 26, 2018 - Los Angeles Times

Pacific Ocean

Post-SB 827, California Addresses Infill and Local Planning

California State Sen. Ben Allen has authored SB 961 to finance optional neighborhood infill TOD districts, with support from fellow legislators. Redondo Beach Mayor Bill Brand is considering an initiative to protect local zoning.

May 27, 2018 - The Planning Report

Food Trucks

Defeating SB 827 Did Not Discourage the YIMBY Movement

Though the California housing bill was a high-profile failure for pro-development activists, there are initiatives all over the country that carry its spirit.

May 14, 2018 - CityLab

Oceanside

The Conscience of a Radical

Why local governments can not always be trusted to run housing policy.

May 14, 2018 - Michael Lewyn

San Francisco Bay

How SB 827 'Cleaved the California Environmental Movement'

Even before the bill was defeated, it exposed a major generational divide between anti-development environmentalists and their pro-density, pro-housing heirs.

April 23, 2018 - San Francisco Magazine

California State Capital

California's 'Aggressive' Housing Bill Dies Quickly, Not Quietly, in Committee

SB 827, the controversial housing bill proposed by State Senator Scott Wiener, had a very brief run in the California State Legislature.

April 18, 2018 - Curbed LA

Louisiana State Senate Votes to Preempt Locals on Inclusionary Zoning

Earlier this week, the Louisiana State Senate approved SB 462, which preempts local authorities from approving inclusionary zoning.

April 13, 2018 - The New Orleans Advocate

Volunteers

When Coastal States Kill Building Codes, FEMA Pays

Despite the increasing number and intensity of natural disasters, some vulnerable states are relaxing building regulations and leaving the federal government to pick up the tab when tragedy strikes again.

April 5, 2018 - Bloomberg

Nashville

Tennessee Legislature Blocks Nashville's 2016 Inclusionary Zoning Policy

Republicans in the Tennessee State Legislature made sure Nashville will never know if its inclusionary zoning policy would have delivered affordable housing in the city.

April 2, 2018 - Tennessean

Cupertino

'By-Right' Housing Law a Shot in the Arm for California Housing Developments

The effect of SB 35 on development projects in California might be more significant than YIMBYs have imagined, after a second project forges ahead confident in the support of state law for a large development.

March 28, 2018 - The Mercury News

Main Street

National League of Cities to Study State Preemption of Local Laws

The mission of the National League of Cities is to advocate for cities—and the organization is now gathering evidence to push back on growing amount of state preemption of local control.

March 27, 2018 - CitiesSpeak

Cellular Network

Feds Streamline Approvals for 5G Infrastructure

Most deployment of 5G "small cells" won't get any resistance from federal regulations.

March 26, 2018 - VentureBeat

Los Angeles Smog

More National Attention Focused on Controversial California Housing Bill

Conor Dougherty, a Bay Area-based New York Times economics reporter, and Brad Plumer, a Times climate reporter, team-up to tackle the controversy surrounding SB 827 that has hit a raw nerve with groups that purport to support the bill's goals.

March 20, 2018 - The New York Times

The Bronx

Choices of Which Neighborhoods to Rezone Questioned in New York City

Questions of mayoral power verses council prerogative were the subject of conversation in New York earlier this month.

March 20, 2018 - Crain's New York Business

BART Station

Bill Would Force Locals to Follow BART's Plans for Station-Adjacent Development

Another bill under consideration by the California State Legislature would take land use control away from local agencies near transit stations. In this case, the new authority would be regional.

March 6, 2018 - The Mercury News

California State Capital

Amendments Proposed for California's Landmark Pro-Housing Development Legislation

Amendments are circulating for one of the most-closely watched, and passionately debated, pieces of housing legislation in the country.

March 5, 2018 - Medium

Marijuana

Detroit Approves Moratorium on New Marijuana Dispensaries

Michigan voters decided that the Detroit City Council shouldn't have as much power to limit marijuana in their city, so the Detroit City Council shut it all down.

February 15, 2018 - The Detroit Free Press

New York City

New York State, Not New York City, to Decide Whether to Toll Streets in Manhattan

While the city determines where to place parking meters and how much to charge, when it comes to charging tolls to drive in Manhattan, the city's elected leaders are excluded from the political process.

January 24, 2018 - The New York Times

California

A Pro-Housing Policy List of Your Wildest YIMBY Dreams

This list is a wishlist of the most ambitious possible YIMBY political platform.

January 14, 2018 - Urbanize LA

Austin

How Anti-Urban State Legislatures Hurt Cities

Creating a new version of the "haves" and the "have nots," Richard Florida distinguishes cities struggling against state-level anti-urban policies from cities that get more support from the state.

December 29, 2017 - CityLab

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.