Zoning
Is Regional Planning the Answer to Connecticut’s Housing Crisis?
City governments are countering a proposed state law with their own strategy for building more housing.
Amidst Colorado Affordability Crisis, Just 3% of Residential Land Zoned for Multifamily Housing
A new report suggests loosening restrictive zoning laws on multifamily development could help bring down high housing costs.
The Case for a Walkable Honolulu
Why supporting mixed use development and ground-level retail can solve the city’s housing and walkability crises at the same time.
NYC's Plan to add 9500+ Housing Units to Midtown
The city council approved a rezoning plan that will allow high-density mixed-use development in a formerly manufacturing-only district.
The Matchmakers Bringing Churches and Developers Together
Several groups are serving as mediators for faith-based development, helping congregations access funding, navigate long-term development processes, and avoid developer exploitation.
Data: Rent Dropping in ‘Pro-Housing’ Cities
Zoning deregulation seems to be having a strong impact on rent prices in some of the nation’s largest cities.
Why Jeff Speck is a “Zoning Abolitionist”
Decades into his career, the walkability guru has learned a thing or two.
Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing
The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.
Charlottesville Temporarily Has No Zoning Code
A judge ordered the Virginia city to throw out its newly revised zoning code, leaving permitting for new development in legal limbo.
Orange County, Florida Adopts Largest US “Sprawl Repair” Code
The ‘Orange Code’ seeks to rectify decades of sprawl-inducing, car-oriented development.
Florida Law Could Eliminate Dedicated Bus Lanes
A new law calls for a minimum ridership of 6,000 passengers in the first year for new bus rapid transit lines. To date, no bus lines in the Tampa Bay region come close.
Texas Legislature’s Surprising Pro-Housing Swing
Smaller homes on smaller lots, office to apartment conversions, and 40% less say for NIMBYs, vote state lawmakers.
Judge Rules in Favor of Massachusetts TOD Law
The court rejected an argument that the MBTA Communities law, which requires zoning for multifamily housing, is an “unfunded mandate.”
Single-Stair Design Contest Envisions Human-Scale Buildings
Single-stair building construction is having a resurgence in the United States, where, for the last several decades, zoning codes have required more than one staircase in multi-story housing developments.
The Simple Legislative Tool Transforming Vacant Downtowns
In California, Michigan and Georgia, an easy win is bringing dollars — and delight — back to city centers.
NYC Council Approves Brooklyn Rezoning Plan
The Atlantic Avenue Mixed Use Plan includes infrastructure investments and could bring 4,600 new housing units to parts of Brooklyn.
Seattle’s Upzoning Plan is Ambitious, Light on Details
The city passed a ‘bare-bones’ framework to comply with state housing laws that paves the way for more middle housing, but the debate over how and where to build is just getting started.
Texas Bill Supports Adaptive Reuse in Commercial Areas
Senate Bill 840, which was preliminarily approved by the state House, would allow residential construction in areas previously zoned for offices and commercial uses.
Dallas Code Reform Makes Way for Missing Middle Housing
The Dallas City Council voted to change the city’s building code to allow up to eight residential units in three-story buildings.
Texas Bills Aim to Tackle Housing Affordability
One proposed bill would raise the threshold for neighbor opposition to new development.
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 Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello