Urban Development

With New ADU Rules, Anchorage Leading U.S. Zoning Reform Efforts
Anchorage recently passed a package of laws that will allow accessory dwelling units in commercial and residential zones, and, in a rare move, on residential lots with existing multi-family housing.

Ranking Exclusionary Zoning: D.C., New York Metro Areas Top the List
A new database measures the restrictiveness of exclusionary zoning practices around the country. Exclusionary zoning, it turns out, is much more prevalent than commonly acknowledged.

The Shifting Boomer Bulge: Major Short Sell Risk
Policy makers dealing with housing issues aren't fully absorbing the numbers. In the second of a series on the subject, Ben Brown and Dr. Arthur C. Nelson help clarify what's going on and what we can do about it.

Skyline-Defining High-Rise Potentially Coming to Boise
A rendering making the rounds in Boise depicts a 40-story apartment building that would be taller than all other buildings in one of the fastest growing cities in the United States.

Arlington ‘Missing Middle Housing’ Plan Faces Scrutiny
A proposal to legalize more housing types in northeastern Virginia has prompted vigorous debate among stakeholders.

YIMBYs and Environmentalists Team Up at Last
The politics of development in California achieved another significant milestone recently, when a YIMBY organization and an environmental advocacy organization collaborated on new land use legislation to be considered by the State Legislature.

Philadelphia ‘Lights Out Pledge’ Seeks To Prevent Bird Deaths
Migratory birds are often lured away from their normal paths by the bright lights of cities, with deadly results.

Infamous 315-Unit Lafayette Housing Development Finally Approved
In a dramatic sign of how far zoning reform has come in the state of California, CEQA wasn’t enough to stop a 315-unit apartment development first proposed 12 years ago in the city of Lafayette.

Report: Pandemic Migration Accelerated Existing Trends
Despite some transformative changes and brief spikes in domestic migration, the Covid-19 pandemic seems to be exacerbating existing declines in internal mobility.

Backlash to San Francisco Development Spotlights City’s Conflicting Priorities
Residents of the Bayview neighborhood say they support new housing, but object to a proposed building that would replace one of the area’s only green spaces.

Car-Oriented Cities See Rise in Car-Free Developments
No longer tied to minimum parking requirements, housing developers are starting to shift to more walkable, transit-oriented projects.

A Look at Planned Jersey City Public Housing Redevelopment
Plans for the Holland Gardens complex include a complete reconstruction of the site and mixed-income housing.

How Houston’s Highways Impact Neighborhoods
A chapter in a new book highlights how highway construction forced changes and caused displacement in communities that included public housing developments.

Austin Debates Parking Reforms Near TOD Projects
City officials are deciding how to change parking requirements for transit-oriented developments that are meant to discourage private car ownership.

Friday Funny: Tired of Walkability? Try the ‘15-Hour City’
Worried that a 15-minute city will restrict your freedoms? Welcome to the alternative.

Environmental Justice Advocates Criticize Federal Assessment Tool
A tool designed to guide federal grant distribution may not prioritize the highest-need communities, while conflicting grant guidelines create challenges for local agencies.

A DIY Approach to Developing Creative Arts Districts
Communities in Colorado are using a do-it-yourself process known as “Call Yourself Creative” to establish new neighborhoods that leverage the arts for community and economic development goals.

Exploring the Ethics of Private Property Buyouts
Learn more about the various impacts of buying out private property with the intent of furthering urban development.

Decatur Reveals Proposed Downtown Master Plan Updates
The city wants to boost economic development in its historic core, improve transit and connectivity, and encourage more housing near its MARTA rail station.

Cleveland City Council Wants More Community Benefits From Developers
A proposed measure would require developers receiving city incentives to provide more benefits to local stakeholders and increase local hiring.
Pagination
City of Greenville
City of Greenville
Resource Assistance for Rural Environments (RARE) AmeriCorps Program
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Spearfish
City of Lomita
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.