Zoning
Decatur Moves Closer to Legalizing Duplexes, ‘Missing Middle Housing’
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.
Op-Ed: Tampa Bay Needs More, Denser Housing
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.
Report: Wisconsin Zoning Rules Hold Back Housing Production
Updating zoning regulations would help the state meet its housing goals and encourage the construction of a broader variety of housing types.
Vancouver’s Spiral High-Rise Creatively Skirts Zoning Rules
To meet zoning constraints, the twisting skyscraper uses an innovative design that optimizes its small footprint.
NYC Mayor Proposes Office Conversion Plan
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.
How Zoning Changes Could Boost Housing Supply in Seattle
The Puget Sound region could benefit from zoning tweaks that would encourage more transit-oriented development and ‘gentle’ density increases, new research finds.
Federal Grants to Fund Zoning Reform Efforts
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.
Explaining Massachusetts’ New TOD Law
The MBTA Communities law sets ‘minimum multi-family unit capacity’ for communities located near transit stations to boost higher-density housing development in transit-rich areas.
Is Exclusionary Zoning a Good Thing?
Some commentators defend exclusionary suburban zoning on the ground that it makes affluent suburbanites more willing to pay for public services. But does exclusion create losers?
Is Sprawl the Only Answer to High Housing Costs?
A recent article argues that sprawl is the solution to high housing costs, pointing out that low-density Sunbelt cities are more affordable than some more compact metro areas. What's wrong with this argument?
When Zoning Reform Isn’t Enough: How To Boost Missing Middle Housing
For upzoning efforts to result in a significant rise in new housing units, cities and states must do more than just change zoning codes to ensure missing middle housing is easy and affordable to build.
How Short-Term Rental Restrictions Impact Urban Planning
Short-term rental regulations are a hot topic in the urban planning world. As more cities consider—or are already implementing—these regulations, they need to understand how they impact various urban landscape areas.
The Misperceptions Restricting the Housing Supply
How local attitudes toward zoning reform hinder efforts to boost housing production.
America’s Housing Shortage Is More Dire Than We Thought
How much housing does America need to reduce soaring prices? Potentially more than anyone has estimated.
Alexandria Could Undertake Major Zoning Reform
The city is developing a plan to address housing affordability and equity and encourage more housing production.
Montgomery County Growth Plan Approved
The county council approved the much-debated long-range growth plan, preparing the region for a shift toward more mid-density housing and transit-oriented development.
How New York Suburbs Are Tackling the Housing Crisis
Some small cities are proposing zoning code reforms and new taxes to address the growing housing shortage in the greater New York area.
Why the City Can’t 'Just Put a Trader Joe’s There'
The flawed logic behind an all-too-common planning misconception.
New Studies Shed Light on Relationship Between Zoning and Racial Integration
While zoning is just one of many factors impacting racial integration and economic mobility, it is an issue with some of the more straightforward solutions.
A Sweet Deal: Zoning for Honeybees
A Boston ordinance could make it easier for residents to take up urban beekeeping.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
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.
