Zoning
St. Pete Breaks Ground on First Industrial Zone Housing Project
A 2020 law allows cities to permit residential developments on formerly industrial land.
Vancouver Set to Adopt Game-changing Citywide Development Plan
To comply with new provincial law, Vancouver will adopt a new city plan aimed at guiding development for the next three decades.
LA Metro Opposes TOD Law, Fearing Backlash to Transit Expansion
Metro wants an exemption from California’s new housing law, despite the law’s potential to increase ridership by putting more housing near transit stations.
Report: MBTA Communities Act has Created Just 7,000 New Housing Units
The Massachusetts law requires cities to rezone appropriate neighborhoods for denser housing.
Florida Lawmakers to Reconsider 2024 Law Blocking Local Resilience Efforts
Legislators are proposing changes to a bill that froze all local land use and building code changes, including those designed to reduce risks from flooding and hurricanes.
Planning Trends for 2026: States and Cities Take Initiative, Passenger Rail Gains Steam, and the Costs of AI Revealed
With federal funding for everything from transportation projects to housing assistance under threat, city and state governments are poised to take a stronger role in building strong, resilient local economies and public services.
Commentary: New Jersey Township Could Use Zoning Law to Block ICE Facility
The Roxbury council passed a resolution opposing a new immigration detention facility, but the town could go further by enacting an ordinance barring detention as a land use.
Commentary: Growth Without Affordable Housing Requirements is “Hard-wiring Segregating Into the Future”
Development should come with affordability. Here's the case for inclusionary housing, and why opponents aren't seeing the full picture.
Arlington’s New Form-Based Zoning Designed to Guide a Cohesive Public Realm
Form-based zoning focuses on the design of buildings and how they interact with the public realm.
“Multi-gen Floor Plans” and More: How Builders are Responding to the Multigenerational Housing Boom
After a decade-long decline, more Americans are living with parents, grandparents, and extended family, calling for new home designs and living arrangements.
Palo Alto Councilors Propose Law to Curb Billionaire Buy-ups Amid Uproar Over Zuckerberg Compound
Mark Zuckerberg has bought 11 homes, building a massive compound with a private school and heavy security patrols.
Small Connecticut Town Approves Controversial 96-Unit Apartment Complex
Just 1.4 percent of housing in the affluent enclave of Woodbridge qualifies as affordable.
Over 4,000 Maui Short-Term Rentals in Limbo as County Weighs Next Steps
A new bill will phase out roughly 7,000 vacation rentals, but a proposal to exempt as many as 4,500 stalled in the county council.
Arizona Court Rejects Local Control Over Short-Term Rentals
A judge upheld a 2017 law that prohibits local jurisdictions from limiting Airbnbs and other short-term rentals.
2025 Brought Seismic Changes to California Housing Laws
New state laws and policies created in reaction to devastating wildfires could spell massive changes for Southern California’s housing landscape.
What Actually Got Built Under Eric Adams’ ‘Pro-Housing’ Administration
The outgoing mayor claims credit for hundreds of thousands of new homes. The truth is more complicated.
Over 90% of Massachusetts Towns Have Changed Zoning to Comply With MBTA Communities Law
Massachusetts municipalities have until December 31 to adjust their zoning codes or face the potential loss of state funding.
Staten Island Resists ‘City of Yes’ Zoning Reforms
One year after New York City approved major zoning changes, some residents continue to fight increased density.
From SoHo to SoDoSoPa
How zoning made great neighborhoods illegal to build, and preordained gentrification.
Seattle Adopts a New Growth Plan, but Major Zoning Battles are Just Beginning
Approving the comprehensive plan update is just the first step in rewriting the city’s zoning code to accommodate more density and affordable housing.
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
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello