Montana

Oil well in Bakersfield, California.

Certified Carbon Credits for Orphan Well Remediation

The Well Done Foundation has launched 778,000 certified carbon credits to fund the plugging of orphaned oil and gas wells, reducing methane emissions while offering businesses and individuals a way to offset their carbon footprints.

January 2, 2025 - PR Newswire

View of Missoula, Montana on a sunny day.

Montana Supreme Court Upholds Zoning Reform Bills

The decision invalidates a preliminary injunction that blocked two key housing bills.

September 8, 2024 - Daily Montanan

Rail tracks on the left, rustic log-built train station painted reddish brown with a green metal roof and concrete platform on the right, evergreen forest and bright blue sky with fluffy white clouds in the background.

More Passenger Rail Coming to Montana

Planning is underway to restore a 45-year-defunct regional passenger rail line connecting southern Montana to Billings and Amtrak’s east-west Empire Builder line from Seattle to Chicago.

May 14, 2024 - 8KPAX

Black cow grazing in field with mountains in background in Montana.

Montana Ranchers Question Massive Solar Project

The $1.2-billion solar farm would provide power to data centers owned by Microsoft, Meta, and others.

May 13, 2024 - Cowboy State Daily

Habitat for Humanity volunteers in construction helmets buildign a wood-frame house.

Habitat for Humanity and Missoula Land Trust Team up on Affordable Housing

The partnership will ensure the new homes will remain affordable for future buyers.

February 22, 2024 - KPAX

Bird's eye view of downtown Bozeman, Montana, with mountains on the horizon

Montana Land Use Reform Overhauls Public Participation Rules

In a bid to streamline housing permits, new state legislation limits public input to the land use planning stage.

January 24, 2024 - Daily Inter Lake

A red and white tent on the sidewalk with other belongings of an unhoused resident in Miami, Florida.

Supreme Court to Reconsider Martin v. Boise

The justices agreed to hear an appeal from the city of Grants Pass, Oregon, of a 2022 U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that has the potential to loosen restrictions on how nine Western states deal with tent encampments on public property.

January 15, 2024 - San Francisco Chronicle

Aerial view of Whitefish, Montana with fall colors and mountains in background.

Montana Judge Blocks Zoning Reforms

The decision reverses new laws once dubbed the ‘Montana Miracle.’

January 3, 2024 - Reason

Street in downtown Missoula, Montana.

Missoula Opens New Affordable Housing Complexes

The city is adding hundreds of new housing units in an effort to ease the region’s housing crunch.

October 18, 2023 - Route Fifty

Large homes in neighborhood covered in snow in Missoula, Montana with mountains in background gainst sunset sky.

Missoula Approves Tax Increment Financing for Workforce Housing

The funding mechanism exchanges public funding for a certain number of affordable units.

October 16, 2023 - The Missoulian

Montana

Landmark Climate Decision Rules in Favor of Montana Youth

The ruling in Held v. Montana is the first of its kind in the United States, according to reports.

August 15, 2023 - The Washington Post

Aerial view of midtown Missoula, Montana with mountains in background

Midtown Master Plan Envisions More Walkable Missoula

The plan envisions safer, more walkable streets, more affordable housing, and improved opportunities for small businesses.

July 13, 2023 - KPAX

Snowy vista of Bozeman, Montana

A Housing Crisis Spreads in Yellowstone Gateway Communities

Last year’s flooding caused damage to already strained affordable housing supplies in towns near the national park.

June 21, 2023 - Utah Public Radio

Aerial view of Colorado state capitol in Denver, Colorado

What Caused the Failure of Zoning Reform in Colorado?

Land use reform bills that gained bipartisan support in the Montana legislature were strongly opposed by Colorado Republicans.

June 14, 2023 - The Colorado Sun

Aerial view of Missoula, Montana

Montana Governor Signs Zoning Reform Bills

Four bills that target housing production promise to streamline permitting processes, reform ADU regulations, and loosen zoning restrictions in commercially zoned areas.

May 24, 2023 - The Missoulian

Aerial view of Montana state capitol building in Helena, Montana

Montana Passes Sweeping Legislative Package to Rescind ‘California-Style-Zoning’

The Montana State Legislature recently approved a package of zoning reform bills modeled closely on bills approved in West Coast states, including the state of California, in recent years.

April 16, 2023 - Business Insider

Missoula

Missoula Aims for Equity With Development Code Updates

The “Our Missoula Development Guide” is getting an update as the Montana deals with the contemporary pressures of population growth and gentrification.

April 11, 2023 - NBC Montana

Aerial view of buildings and parking lots in Missoula, Montana

Montana Legislature Considering Historic Package of Pro-Housing Development Bills

State legislators agree the cost of housing is a growing problem, but there is little consensus on how to boost the supply of affordable housing.

April 10, 2023 - The Missoulian

Aerial view of Montana state capitol building in Helena, Montana

Montana Could Overhaul Land Use Laws

State legislators want to make comprehensive changes to land use and zoning laws to alleviate a growing housing shortage in the state’s urban areas.

February 28, 2023 - Bozeman Daily Chronicle

Floodwaters and damaged road in Yellowstone National Park

How the Yellowstone Floods Laid Bare a Housing Crisis

This year’s historic floods ravaged communities already roiled by spiking housing costs and a shortage of available workforce housing near the nation’s oldest national park.

September 23, 2022 - High Country News

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.