Land Use
Portland, Maine to Revise Zoning Code
The ReCode initiative promotes more diverse housing types and reduces parking requirements, among other changes.
Key Wins for Conservation in 2024
The year brought some important victories to advocates for public lands, national monuments, and the reclamation of Indigenous history.
Bridging Divides: The Crucial Role of Collaboration in Highway Removal
Highway removal is most successful when agencies at all levels of government work closely with each other and the impacted community.
Opinion: Why Linking Driving to GDP Misses the Point
The argument that car-centric development is good because it boosts national GDP ignores the massive costs of driving to everyday Americans.
Dallas Extends Permit for Downtown Drive-Thru
The city has indicated this is the last time it will extend a permit for a drive-thru at a McDonald’s restaurant as it transitions to supporting a denser, more walkable downtown environment.
Seattle Has No Plans to Ditch Parking Requirements
An update to the city’s comprehensive plan will reduce, but not fully eliminate, parking mandates for housing developments.
Future of Public Lands Looks Litigious Under Trump
Experts say monuments and “unappropriated” federal lands will likely be the target for expanded drilling, mining, and other development under a new Trump administration.
Addressing Orphan Wells for Environmental Justice
Remediating and repurposing some orphan oil and gas wells into parks can turn environmental hazards into community assets, promoting health, environmental justice, and accessible green space for underserved areas.
Denver Slaughterhouse Measure Reveals Impacts of Meat Industry
Voters did not approve a measure that would have closed a slaughterhouse that is key to the nation’s lamb production.
Quantifying How Urban Trees Cool Cities
A new tool can help cities understand the benefits of tree planting efforts at the municipal scale.
‘Biggest Little City’ Makes Room for Growth
The mayor of Reno has pushed for reforming housing regulations to support more affordable development.
Placemaking in the Barrio: Conceptualizing Infill Development in Disenfranchised Communities
How one San Antonio neighborhood could approach sustainable revitalization while supporting the existing community and drawing on its rich and diverse history and cultural resources.
NYC Losing Many Outdoor Dining Areas Due to Expensive New Regulations
Restaurant owners say the city’s new outdoor dining program makes it too difficult and expensive to operate al fresco setups.
States Move to Protect Mobile Home Park Residents
Making it easier for mobile home park residents to collectively purchase the land they live on can protect their housing affordability for the long term.
Paris Creates Limited Traffic Zone in City Center
Most vehicles will be barred from entering a 5.5 square kilometer zone to limit traffic, noise, and pollution.
‘Newbie Humility’ Meets the ‘Imported NIMBY’
In a precautionary essay about moving to another place, Chuck Wolfe explains tensions between simple and practical community life and newcomers’ arguably gentrification-laced expectations.
New Jersey Towns Call for Suspension of Affordable Housing Law
Close to two dozen municipalities are suing the state, arguing that the affordable housing requirements mandated by the Mount Laurel Doctrine are unrealistic and discriminate against suburban communities.
San Diego Begins to See Results of State Housing Law
Homeowners in Southern California are starting to take advantage of a state law that allows lot splitting and higher density in residential areas in an effort to increase housing supply and affordability.
New Jersey Calls for 85,000 New Housing Units
A state law known as the Mount Laurel Doctrine mandates that each jurisdiction accommodate enough new housing units to meet the local demand for affordable housing.
How the Post-Covid Reality Is Reshaping Central Business Districts and Urban Centers
U.S. cities are working to redefine their downtowns in response to the “donut effect:” people and businesses abandoning city centers and flocking to suburban areas and beyond.
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.
City of Moreno Valley
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
City of Piedmont, CA
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland
