The guide outlines zoning reforms that can encourage affordable housing construction and increase density and walkability.
A new toolkit from the League of Wisconsin Municipalities (LWM), the Congress of New Urbanism, and several other Wisconsin organizations "offers a list of zoning reforms, with suggestions such as allowing narrower lots, reduced setbacks and a mix of housing types to reduce development costs" that can improve housing affordability in the state. As Roberta Baumann reports, the document is aimed at guiding communities in increasing 'missing middle housing' and other more affordable housing types.
While the guide, titled "Enabling Better Places: A User’s Guide to Wisconsin Neighborhood Affordability," does not mandate any zoning changes, notes Baumann, local governments are encouraged to use the tools it provides when the opportunity comes up.
One community, Waunakee, will evaluate parking reform regulations at an upcoming public meeting, "mainly because recent developments have been approved with parking exemptions." According to Waunakee community development director Tim Semmann, "[c]hanging patterns in shopping trends have rendered some regulations as outdated." The village's Community Development Authority (CDA) is also "creating policies for using Housing Betterment Fund dollars derived from Tax Incremental Finance (TIF) district extensions for affordable housing."
FULL STORY: Wisconsin housing affordability at the heart of zoning reform project
Lawsuit Aims to Stop NYC’s ‘City of Yes’ Zoning Reforms
A lawsuit brought by local lawmakers and community groups claims the plan failed to conduct a comprehensive environmental review.
Pittsburgh Mayor Proposes Zoning Changes to Curb Housing Shortage
The mayor’s plan includes legalizing ADUs in single-family neighborhoods, eliminating parking requirements, and adding new affordability requirements to buildings with over 20 units.
Reno Revisits Zoning Reform
After roundly rejecting a proposal to legalize granny flats in 2018, the city council is revising it and other zoning reform proposals that could increase the city’s affordable housing supply.
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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