Urban Development
South L.A. Townhall Opposes SB 1120 Statewide Upzoning Bill
L.A. City Councilmembers Herb Wesson and Paul Koretz register opposition to SB 1120, calling the bill an attack on the residential integrity throughout the state of California.
Counties and Cities Facing Sudden Dip in Property Tax Revenue
Property taxes have traditionally been viewed as recession-proof channels for local revenue, but first the Great Recession, and now the pandemic depression, are proving to be exceptions to the rule.
Missing Middle Housing Study Launches in Arlington County, Virginia
Missing Middle Housing, the kinds of additional density that can be added with limited construction on a footprint the size of traditional single-family homes, is gaining momentum in the D.C. region.
A Planning Showdown in New York City
The proposal to rezone the Industry City redevelopment area in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn has won a key approval, but a controversial showdown in the City Council still awaits.
The Impacts of Repeated Closures on California Commercial Real Estate
Carl Muhlstein discusses the recent re-closure of California businesses and the subsequent impact on the regional real estate market.
Apartment Construction Slowed in 2020, Without the Pandemic's Help
The construction shutdowns and slow economic activity of the pandemic aren't the only reason Denver and other U.S. cities are seeing a slowdown in construction completions in 2020, according to a recent report.
How Massachusetts Got its Historic Planning Reform Moment
As reported earlier this month, the Massachusetts Legislature is poised to approve historic statewide land use reforms that would preempt local control of residential development. Here's a detailed account of how the state arrived at this moment.
Digital Roundtable Discusses Silicon Valley's Urbanist Future
Highlighting the ways in which the pandemic’s disruption is unleashing innovation, panelists share their hope for streamlining public-private collaborations to solve some of the region’s housing, transportation, and equity challenges.
The Cost of Sea-Level Rise Measured in Tens of Billions in California
A new report summarizes the impact rising sea levels would have on California residents, businesses, and infrastructure. The effects would be catastrophic for the San Francisco Bay Area.
Challenging the Permitting Record of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Zoning in the U.S. was originally intended to keep noxious uses out of residential areas. Around Houston, which famously lacks a traditional zoning system, polluting uses are still granted broad permission to operate in residential areas.
The Trouble With Equity
Equity is a fine value—but on contentious land use issues, equity can be used to support either side of the argument.
Missing Middle Housing: Thinking Big and Building Small to Respond to Today’s Housing Crisis
Dan Parolek, inventor of the term Missing Middle Housing, has written a new book on the subject, available now from Island Press. The following excerpts offer insight into overcoming planning and regulatory barriers to deliver the desired housing.
The Disconnect Between Virus Prevalence and Local Business Climate
Public health experts assert that to safely reopen the economy, the coronavirus needs to be contained. In Manhattan, where the virus is largely controlled, chain restaurants are closing while their sister stores in Florida are expanding.
Proposed Single-Family Zoning Reform Would Have a Big Footprint in California
SB 1120 is the latest law proposed in the California Legislature to preempt restrictive local zoning.
California Cities Going the Extra Mile to Support ADU Construction
A few jurisdictions have gone beyond conformity with state law to encourage the construction of accessory dwelling units in the state of California, like in San Diego.
The Planning Tools to Overcome Racial Segregation
A new report presents five strategies for overcoming the long-term effects of systemic racism as perpetuated by housing and planning policies of the past and present.
Dormant Michigan State Fairground Site to Make Way for Amazon Distribution Center
Detroit officials have been trying to find a new life for the former site of the Michigan State Fair for a long time. Amazon will fill the void, according to a redevelopment proposal announced last week.
A Development Proposal 34 Years in the Making
Or a historic preservation fight, 34 years in the making, depending on your perspective.
Criticism of San Jose's Plan to Add New Billboards to the City
San Jose banned new billboards in 1985, but a proposal making its way through the planning department would allow for a wave of new billboards in the city. One local columnist isn't buying it.
The Day after Plano Tomorrow
Planners in Plano, Texas are ready to pick up the pieces and move on from the demise of the Plano Tomorrow comprehensive plan.
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.
Greater Baltimore Committee
Eagle County Government
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
Journal of the American Planning Association
