Zoning Codes
Study: U.S. Land Use Regulations More Restrictive Since the Great Recession
A new metric for measuring land use regulation traces the evolution of land use regulations over the past decade, finding that U.S. municipalities on a net basis adopted slightly more restrictive land use regulations from 2006 to 2018.
Milwaukee Updates Zoning Code to Encourage Walkability
The city of Milwaukee will require new commercial developments to include a 15-foot "street frontage zone" to encourage walking.
Height Limits, Roof Deck Ban Killed by Philly Planning Commission's Pocket Veto
The Philadelphia City Planning Commission made a "rare how of power" in using a variety of "pocket veto" to kill proposed height and roof deck restrictions in the Far Northeast section of Philadelphia.
Vancouver Making Room for More Apartments
As a response to rising rental prices and low vacancy rates, Vancouver planners have created a package of zoning and process changes to provide incentives for new multi-family developments.
Ontario Upholds Toronto's Airbnb Regulations
The vacancy rate in Toronto has been estimated as low 1.1 percent, but the province has approved regulations intended to restore units that have been taken off the long-term rental market by short-term rental platforms like Airbnb.
Measuring the Effect of Zoning on Housing Prices
Recent political interest in local land use regulations requires a thorough and nuanced understanding of the strengths and limitations of the methodologies available for measuring the effects of zoning.
Single-Family Zoning on the Cutting Block in Bloomington, Indiana
Move over Minneapolis. An Indiana college town joins the avant-garde of planning innovation by nearing the finish line with a new Unified Development Ordinance that would allow duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes in single-family neighborhoods.
Covington's New Neighborhood Development Code Wants to Ease Development, Protect Charm
Covington, Kentucky is seeking feedback from the public on a new zoning code after 18 months of work.
Work Underway to Update Detroit's Zoning Code
The first deliverable in the process of updating the city of Detroit's zoning ordinance is publically available.
A New Form-Based Zoning Code and the 'Conflicted Soul' of the Suburbs
The new form-based zoning code under consideration in the affluent Philadelphia suburb of Lower Merion "has something to teach Philadelphia and other big cities about how to organize density smartly," according to Inga Saffron.
Discretionary Approval for McMansions
Redwood City, located on the San Francisco Peninsula, will make it harder to build homes that take up more than 45 percent of a residential lot.
Opinion: It’s Time Zoning Laws Reflected the Real World
Current zoning restrictions hearken back to an America that long longer exists. It’s time to update codes and stop perpetuating housing segregation and inequality.
Zoning Codes, Explained
Looking for a way to describe zoning codes, and their role in city planning, to a newcomer to the field? Maybe start here.
New Zoning Code Evolves as Affordability Concerns Linger
The city of Des Moines is working on a new zoning code intended to ease the process of developing homes. The proposed regulations have triggered warnings from affordable housing advocates as well as local and nation home builders.
Zoning Change for Mixed-Use Developments, Density Near Transit Moves Forward
Until now, mixed-use projects have required a lengthy discretionary approval process in San Diego. That could change with a zoning change given preliminary approval by the City Council this week.
Small Hotels a Non-Starter After Zoning Change in New York City
A local labor organization wanted larger hotels to help workers create unions, so they sought a zoning change to make it harder to develop smaller hotels in light manufacturing zones.
A Sneak Peek at the New Plan (and Zoning Code) for Downtown Los Angeles
The Los Angeles Department of City Planning has released a draft of the DTLA 2040 plan. In addition to the changes it proposes for the downtown area, it's the first community plan update to roll out the city's new zoning code.
Florida Preempts Local Zoning Laws That Prohibit Gardens
Many gardeners in Florida celebrated this week, as Senate Bill 82 went into effect, by planting fruits and vegetables in their yards, legally, whether their city liked it or not.
New Zoning Code Aims to Remove Red Tape in Des Moines
The city of Des Moines is hoping to update its zoning code for the first time since 1965.
Citywide Ban on New Drive-Thrus Moves Forward in Minneapolis
The city of Minneapolis doesn't want any more drive-throughs in the city, in an effort to cut down on emissions, car trips, and conflict points in the public realm.
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 Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
KFH Group Inc.
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
