Zoning Reform

The state is facing a workforce housing shortage and rising costs, but some cities and towns make it difficult to build new housing near jobs.

February 2, 2023 - Urban Milwaukee

Cities and towns had until January 31 to submit their draft plans for rezoning areas near transit stations to comply with a new state law.

February 1, 2023 - Streetsblog Mass

Despite the powerful impact of local land use and zoning policies on housing costs and supply, many U.S. mayors believe they have little control over homelessness in their cities.

January 31, 2023 - Governing

Housing is one of four “pillars” proposed by Mayor Eric Adams in his “Working People’s Agenda.”

January 30, 2023 - NYC Office of the Mayor

The city of Sacramento is making it easier to develop accessory dwelling units.

January 25, 2023 - CBS Sacramento

California housing regulators have granted preliminary approval for the city of San Francisco’s housing element as mandated by the state’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation process.

January 24, 2023 - San Francisco Chronicle

Some state legislators are proposing action at the state level as counties block development using zoning and development requirements even as housing prices rise sharply in the region.

January 23, 2023 - The Virginia Mercury

A proposal to permit multifamily housing units in areas previously zoned for single-family homes passed its first hurdle, but requires a second vote to go into effect.

January 19, 2023 - Decaturish

With rents skyrocketing and the region facing a steep housing shortage, housing advocates argue now is the time for zoning reform that encourages missing middle housing and transit-oriented development.

January 18, 2023 - Tampa Bay Times

Zoning codes are not the only kind of land use control that has built the U.S. residential market on the suburban model for more than a century, according to a recent article in The Urbanist.

January 17, 2023 - The Urbanist

Updating zoning regulations would help the state meet its housing goals and encourage the construction of a broader variety of housing types.

January 16, 2023 - Wisconsin Public Radio

Governor Kathy Hochul wants to build 800,000 new homes in New York in the next decade.

January 16, 2023 - Governor Kathy Hochul

Proposed zoning updates that would make it easier to convert office buildings in commercial districts to housing and other uses could yield up to 20,000 new housing units in the next decade.

January 12, 2023 - Gothamist

A Los Angeles Times editorial explains how political intrigue is spilling over into planning frustration in the city of Los Angeles.

January 11, 2023 - Los Angeles Times

The political will for zoning reforms has never been stronger. The traditional opponents of development, however, are still finding ways to push back.

January 11, 2023 - Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

The Puget Sound region could benefit from zoning tweaks that would encourage more transit-oriented development and ‘gentle’ density increases, new research finds.

January 9, 2023 - Urban Institute

The ‘Yes In My Backyard’ grants are designed to help cities identify the most effective avenues for increasing density and spurring more housing construction in historically reluctant neighborhoods.

January 9, 2023 - Route Fifty

Los Angeles Director of Planning Vince Bertoni was recently interviewed the effects of new state planning and housing laws in the state’s most populous city.

January 3, 2023 - The Planning Report

The $1.7 trillion spending bill approved by Congress earlier in December includes a significant first: $85 million in discretionary grant funding for local governments to remove obstacles to housing development.

December 29, 2022 - Globe St

A review of the major themes, debates, and events of the year in planning that was 2022 (part one of two).

December 15, 2022 - James Brasuell