Zoning
Smoke Signals
Could smoke rising from a barbeque pit be considered a sign, and thus be controlled under sign regulations? Zoning officials in East Berlin, PA say yes.
Friday Funny - Zoning on the Menu
I'll have a Conditional Use Permit, on the rocks, with a twist...
City Tackles Antique Zoning Code
The zoning code of Alamogordo, NM hasn't been revisited since April of 1950. Today, the zoning rewrite group is finally updating the code and making the switch to a form-based code in the process.
Denver Edging Towards Form-Based Code
Denver is seeking to revise its zoning, shifting to a form-based code that more precisely dictates what type of buildings go where and what they should look like.
Creating 'Eco-Districts'
Green buildings are great, but don't do too much if they're located in grossly un-green places. The city of Portland is trying to address the issue by creating "eco-districts".
Recasting the Station as the Neighborhood Nucleus
Zoning changes around the train station in New Carrollton, Maryland seek to redefine the city into a more vibrant, walkable area. The changes have received preliminary approval.
Placemaking Through Zoning
Zoning is often portrayed as the great evil of city planning, but Les Pollock of Camiros argues that we shouldn't dismiss the power of zoning to create great communities.
An Udder Failure...
A couple of weeks ago, the South Dakota Supreme Court in Anderson v. Town of Badger held that a town had the power to grant a waiver of a distance requirement set by Kingsbury County for a CAFO. Click here for the decision. Wait a minute. Why wouldn’t you want to live near a CAFO? What’s a CAFO? It’s not Community Association Facility Operations. It’s not Centralized Area of Fun Outside …no, it’s Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, something akin to dinner time at my fraternity house in the mid-1960s…
The Problem of 'Family' Zoning
In 1975, the City of Oneonta, NY, established a law limiting the number of unrelated people allowed to live under one roof. Ruled unconstitutional by the State Supreme Court, the city is working on redefining the so-called 'family zoning.'
A Unique Condo for a Difficult Site
In Copenhagen, architect David Zahle faced with a problem site. They needed to build 215,000 sq. ft. of parking and 108,000 sq. ft. of housing on one lot. The solution was a sort of artificial mountain.
Miami 21's Final Act?
After more than four years of public meetings, new drafts, extensive revisions, debate, and controversy, Miami 21 is finally scheduled for its first City Commission reading on August 6th. For all who have, or continue to work patiently and dilligently on the groundbreaking zoning code, this is exciting and relieving news.
Herb-an Planning
Medical marijuana dispensaries are in high supply in Los Angeles. But without zoning regulations to determine where they should and should not go, the dispensaries are causing some concerns from locals.
RLUIPA Ripeness Rule Reinforced
The concept of ripeness in several realms is elusive. I have never figured out how to properly thump a melon at a grocery store, although I have made a thorough study of it. You might want to click here, or here, or here for some guidance, none of which seems to work when it’s just me in a stare down with a cold, stone faced and silent honeydew. Just yesterday one of my younger children from what we call the “second litter” asked me at dinner how I could tell if a coconut was ripe. I paused, realized that I had no answer, and did what every good parent should do and asked instead why they weren’t eating their salad. Yes, attack and divert. You think melons and coconuts are tough — try ripeness in land use litigation.
Church Charged With Zoning Violation for Food Giveaway
A church in Phoenix has been ordered to stop giving out free food to the homeless, which the city says is out of compliance with the church's zoning.
Fear of Density in Houston
As Houston considers extending its urban boundaries, planners and locals struggle with the proper techniques for ensuring good development without zoning.
Ocean Zoning Moves Forward
Gov. Deval Patrick of Mass. has released a draft zoning plan to regulate the waters off the state's coast, particularly around Cape Cod and Cape Ann.
Review for Floodplain Development is Required
Florence County Planning officials recently updated the county's land-use element of the comprehensive plan, which would require review of development taking place in floodplains.
"Kid Friendly" Zoning Code
Ashtabula, Ohio, are updating their zoning codes to be more "kid friendly", as more and more residents are submitting applications to convert homes into day care facilities.
No Lot Size Ordinance Any More in Stafford, VA
The Stafford Board of Supervisors opposed an ordinance which would require a minimum buildable lot area for agriculturally zoned parcels.
Dry Counties Facing Zoning Issues As Liquor Sales Approved
The Planning and Zoning Commission of Lubbock, Texas is in the process of revamping old zoning to meet a new voter-approved iniative to allow off-premise alcohol sales.
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
