The city of Berkeley, famed for its radical left politics in the 1960s, is now considered a bastion of anti-development obstructionism. Those politics could be changing, however.

Ariel Gans reports on efforts in Berkeley to potentially unlock the land use status quo that has held control of local politics in the city for decades.
According to Gans, "members of the Berkeley City Council aim to further tackle the housing crisis by potentially permitting triplexes in single-family neighborhoods."
The City Council voted on Tuesday to pursue a study into the proposal. The City Council is not currently proposing any zoning changes, as made clear on the Twitter account of Councilmember Lori Droste, who Gans describes as "the leading proponent of the study."
Droste's track record on the Berkeley City Council includes introducing the Green Affordable Housing package, "which works to remove the parking requirement for developments that included affordable housing, thus incentivizing residents to live closer to transit and bringing much-needed affordable housing to Berkeley more quickly," according to Gans.
The recent actions of the Berkeley City Council stand in contrast to positions taken by the city's mayor in 2018 and recent debates about density.
FULL STORY: Berkeley Considering Zoning Reform to Tackle Housing Shortage

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving
Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.

Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan
Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.

Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding
The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.
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