Zoning

Google street view of closed-down lumber warehouse in St. Petersburg, Florida.

St. Pete Breaks Ground on First Industrial Zone Housing Project

A 2020 law allows cities to permit residential developments on formerly industrial land.

February 5, 2026 - Florida Politics

Vancouver city skyline with construction crane.

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.

February 2, 2026 - Daily Hive

Mural "Big Bowl of Rice" by artist April Greiman, at the Wilshire Vermont mixed-use development above transit station in Los Angeles, CA.

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.

February 1, 2026 - Streetsblog California

Aerial of purple train in station in small town Concord, Massachusetts.

Report: MBTA Communities Act has Created Just 7,000 New Housing Units

The Massachusetts law requires cities to rezone appropriate neighborhoods for denser housing.

January 29, 2026 - CommonWealth Beacon

Houses with debris from hurricane piled on front lawns in Florida.

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.

January 25, 2026 - Inside Climate News

New wood-frame single-famly houses being built in Arizona with desert mountains in background.

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.

January 25, 2026 - Diana Ionescu

Delaney Hall is a secure detention facility near Newark Airport used by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to hold illegal aliens awaiting deportation hearings.

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.

January 25, 2026 - Insider NJ

Two-story duplex with matching dark red doors in Boston, Massachusetts.

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.

January 18, 2026 - Shelterforce Magazine

Wide street in downtown Arlington, Texas with colorful sunset.

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.

January 11, 2026 - Bisnow

Mother with children sitting next to older woman/grandmother at table.

“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.

January 6, 2026 - Home Buying Institute

High-rise simple modernist Palo Alto,California City Hall building with open plaza lined by trees in front.

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.

January 6, 2026 - San José Spotlight

Tan historic home in Woodbridge, Connecticut.

Small Connecticut Town Approves Controversial 96-Unit Apartment Complex

Just 1.4 percent of housing in the affluent enclave of Woodbridge qualifies as affordable.

January 5, 2026 - The Hartford Courant

Aerial of beachside condos in Maui, Hawaii.

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.

January 4, 2026 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Green "welcome" sign leaning on wall of orange home with gravel ground in US Southwest.

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.

December 29, 2025 - New York Post

Wood-framed three-story apartment buildings under construction on a one-way street in California.

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.

December 26, 2025 - LAist

New York City Mayor Eric Adams speaking at an outdoor lectern.

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.

December 26, 2025 - Curbed

Outdoor train platform in Middleboro MA with MBTA train pulling in.

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.

December 26, 2025 - Mass Live

Aerial view of Staten Island, New York.

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.

December 22, 2025 - Staten Island Live

Bright green restaurant patio with diners in SoHo, New York City.

From SoHo to SoDoSoPa

How zoning made great neighborhoods illegal to build, and preordained gentrification.

December 22, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Seattle skyline in low-rise area with yellow construction crane rising over buildings at dusk.

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.

December 19, 2025 - The Urbanist

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.

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