Land Use

Slave Descendants in Georgia Fight to Overturn County Zoning Decision
Gullah-Geechee residents of Mcintosh County, Georgia, are seeking a referendum to reverse zoning changes they say threaten their community, one of the last in the South. County commissioners say they don’t have that power.

Industry Groups Sue BLM Over Public Lands Rule
Farmers, ranchers, and others are challenging a policy change that puts conservation on the same footing as other land uses.

Wyoming Task Force Considers Statewide Zoning Reform
The state task force will examine six bills aimed at limiting local opposition to new housing development.

Playing With Numbers, Even for Environmental Justice, Isn't Justified
Environmental justice is an important issue, but does not justify playing with the numbers. But that's exactly what I found in a new study of the impacts of warehouses in New Jersey done by the Environmental Defense Foundation.

Seattle Law Eases Office Conversions
Despite city and state incentives, officials expect the program will result in a modest number of new housing units.

Invasive Beetles Put Oregon Forests at Risk
Two recently discovered borer beetles could lead to a significant loss of tree canopy.

Cincinnati ADU Legalization Slow to Catch On
Only four permits have been filed since the city made ‘granny flats’ legal last year.

Pittsburgh Nonprofit Awarded $200K for Urban Trees
The USDA grant is focused on providing disease-resistant fruit trees to local residents.

$127 Million Allocated to Clean Up Orphaned Wells in Five States
The funding will be used to plug orphaned oil and gas wells, addressing environmental hazards, creating jobs, and advancing environmental justice as part of a larger effort funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

California Secures $16.2 Million HUD Grant for Affordable Housing
The funding will be used to develop affordable housing, reduce regulatory barriers, and address systemic racism in land use policies.

Houston Could Face Stronger Storms. Is the City Prepared?
Experts say Hurricane Beryl, which landed as a category 1, revealed that the city’s infrastructure may not successfully withstand stronger storms.

ForwardDallas Lays out Bold Vision, Lacks Teeth
The land use plan outlines ambitious goals for the city’s future, but offers little in the way of concrete changes.

New Zealand Zoning Reform Targets Housing Production
New national rules will prevent local councils from limiting development in an effort to ease the nation’s housing crisis.

How to Repurpose Vacant Storefronts
Loosening restrictions on clean light manufacturing can revive dormant storefronts and revitalize communities.

Boston’s Fair Housing Policy Shows Promise
The city was the first to tie fair housing requirements to zoning reform.

California's Struggle to End Neighborhood Oil Drilling Faces Fierce Industry Opposition
Assembly Bill 1866 aims to address the health hazards caused by idle oil wells in low-income communities by enforcing stricter regulations on oil companies to accelerate well cleanup, despite significant opposition from the oil industry.

NYC ‘City of Yes’ Seeks to Scale Back Parking Requirements
A rise in permit applications after recent changes to parking requirements shows how parking mandates stifle new residential development and raise the cost of housing.

Vancouver City Council Eliminates Parking Mandates, Supports TOD
In a significant step for more diverse housing and transit-friendly development, the Vancouver City Council eliminated parking minimums and adopted a Transit-Oriented Areas (TOA) policy.

Repurposing Oil Fields Into Parks: Advancing Just Transition and Community Well-being
The concept of a "just transition" extends beyond workers to encompass broader social and environmental dimensions, including the restoration and regeneration of land and communities affected by oil extraction activities.

‘Grand Boulevards’ Could Ease Housing Crisis
A prominent urbanist argues that redeveloping commercial corridors with denser housing could bridge the gap between the housing supply and demand.
Pagination
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