A law approved by the Denver City Council this week makes it much easier to build tiny homes in Denver.
"The Denver City Council voted on Monday to make it easier to build tiny-home communities in most of Denver," reports Andrew Kenney.
"The new city law allows tiny home villages to be built across industrial, commercial and mixed-use sites, along with certain sites in residential neighborhoods. Villages could appear on future development sites, spare city land, or even church properties," according to Kenney.
The city's first sanctioned tiny home village, Beloved Community Village, set the context of the new law. The village opened in 2016, has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars, but has been unable to expand or to duplicate its successes elsewhere in the city. The new law would make it easier to build similar villages.
Much of Kenney's focus in the wake of the City Council's action to approve permissive regulations for tiny homes is the possibility that the new law could pave the way looser regulations on mobile homes. Eventually, Kenney also ties the approval of new regulations for tiny homes to the city's recent approval of Blueprint Denver and the Comprehensive Plan 2040, which guide housing production until the year 2040.
FULL STORY: Denver opens the door for tiny homes. Will mobile homes be next?
Tiny House Villages for Addressing Homelessness: An Interview with Yetimoni Kpeebi
One researcher's perspective on the potential of tiny homes and owner-built housing as one tool to fight the housing crisis.
California’s Tiny Home Pledge Still on Paper, One Year Later
A promise to fund 1,200 tiny homes for unhoused residents in four cities as a way to rapidly and cost-effectively provide shelter has yet to yield tangible results, but projects are moving ahead in some cities.
Tiny Homes are a First—but not Last—Step in Ending Homelessness
Cities are trying to stretch affordable housing funds to meet the demand for both short- and long-term housing.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Wind Energy on the Rise Despite Federal Policy Reversal
The Trump administration is revoking federal support for renewable energy, but demand for new projects continues unabated.
Passengers Flock to Caltrain After Electrification
The new electric trains are running faster and more reliably, leading to strong ridership growth on the Bay Area rail system.
Texas Churches Rally Behind ‘Yes in God’s Back Yard’ Legislation
Religious leaders want the state to reduce zoning regulations to streamline leasing church-owned land to housing developers.
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.
Caltrans
Smith Gee Studio
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service