Zoning Reform
Zoning Reform Gets Another Try as Massachusetts Wrestles With Housing Crunch
Strong support for local control has made statewide legislation to address the housing affordability crisis difficult to approve in the Bay State.
A New Zoning Code for a More Effective Comprehensive Plan
Amarillo, a city of nearly 200,000 residents located in the Texas Panhandle, will rewrite its zoning ordinance for the first time in over 50 years.
Editorial: Raise Height Limits to San Jose's Proper Stature
The city of San Jose has the "least distinctive" downtown skyline of the nation's major cities, according to editorial board of The Mercury News. The City Council has a chance to change that.
Spatial Mismatch's Far-Reaching Effects
When workers can't afford to live near jobs, the results are more than just housing cost burdens.
Form at the Forefront of Zoning Code Rewrite in Covington, Kentucky
The city of Covington is conducting public hearings to gather feedback on at the outset of an 18-month process of rewriting its zoning code.
Major Parking Reform Effort Moving Forward in San Diego
Civic San Diego and San Diego planning commissioners approved new parking standards that would eliminate minimums and set maximums of one space per multifamily unit. Those reforms and more must still be approved by the City Council.
Wisconsin County Completes First Comprehensive Zoning Code Rewrite in 70-Plus Years
Dane County, Wisconsin, which includes the city of Madison, has rewritten its zoning code to address a changing economy and a state-mandated system of local control.
Affordable Housing Advocacy Efforts Taking Root in St. Paul
St. Paul, Minnesota, is working on its comprehensive plan, and advocates want to see upzoning changes similar to what happened in Minneapolis.
Philadelphia Unlikely to Follow Minneapolis' Lead in Zoning Reform
Minneapolis is setting a bold example by ending single-family zoning, but chances are a similar change won’t be coming to Philadelphia.
Legislation Would Loosen Zoning for TOD and ADUs, Require Housing Plans From Cities in Utah
State preemption, in the form major zoning reforms and mandates for local housing targets, are on the table in the Utah Legislature this year.
Zoning Changes May Be Coming to Atlanta
The city is considering zoning updates, including legalization of accessory dwelling units and smaller apartment buildings, which would increase density and provide more housing.
CDBG Funds Not Useful Focus for Zoning Reform
Linking zoning reform mandates to CDBG funding is not an effective way to change exclusionary zoning.
New 'Design Excellence Overlay' Aims to Inspire New Development in Missoula
The city of Missoula professes a strategy of "focusing inward" when it comes to growth and development. A new 'Design Excellence Overlay' will help achieve more goals toward that strategy in the city's downtown.
Mapping the Ambitious Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan
A parcel-by-parcel map of zoning changes included in the Minneapolis 2040 comprehensive plan.
Regional Housing Needs Allocation Reform Bill on Gov. Brown's Desk
The lone survivor of Sen. Scott Wiener's trio of "Housing-First Policy" bills awaits a decision by Gov. Jerry Brown. Senate Bill 828, intended to increase the amount of land zoned for housing in California cities, was weakened by amendments.
Transit Oriented Upzoning Can't Win Local Support in San Diego
Residents are shooting down plans that propose increased density and height in San Diego. The city had planned to cut its carbon footprint by encouraging transit oriented development.
'Making Room Housing Program' Would Allow New Density in Vancouver
Duplexes, rowhouses, and small apartment buildings will be on the zoning menu for "housing choice neighborhoods" around Vancouver, thanks to the city's new "Making Room Housing Program."
What If Zoning Codes Were Dynamic?
Parking prices, toll lanes, and tickets to a ballgame can be dynamic, with prices fluctuating depending on market conditions. What if zoning could change when triggered by demographic and market conditions?
Austin Reminded to Be Respectful While Debating CodeNEXT
A call for civility amid the great zoning debate in Austin, Texas.
Legislation Would Ensure California Housing Construction Keeps Pace with Population Growth
A companion bill to the controversial SB 827, also introduced Sen. Scott Wiener (D-S.F)., could have a similar impact on housing production but hasn't gathered nearly as much attention. SB 828 makes critical changes to the state's housing supply law.
Pagination
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
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority