Regulations that prohibit multifamily housing and smaller lot sizes contribute to a growing gulf between housing supply and demand.
According to an article by Alex Horowitz & Tushar Kansal for Pew, research shows that restrictive zoning laws are limiting new housing development in Arizona, driving up housing costs.
“Fundamentally, Arizona has too few homes available for sale or rent. The state’s population grew 14.7% from 2010 to 2022, but its housing stock increased by only 11.9%.” Homelessness in the state rose by 51.5 percent between 2017 and 2022. However, “Throughout Arizona, numerous cities and towns reserve substantial portions of residential land for the construction of the most expensive housing: single-unit detached homes, often with large lots and substantial parking requirements.” In Tucson, multifamily housing is permitted on just 12 percent of land.
Larger homes and lots also prompt higher usage of water, an increasingly scarce resource in Arizona and the Southwest. “A nationwide study that included data from Phoenix Water Services found that single-family homes in Phoenix used an average of 331 gallons per day, whereas each home in a multifamily development used 182 gallons per day (45% less).”
FULL STORY: Restrictive Zoning Is Raising Housing Costs and Homelessness in Arizona
DC Residents Want Affordability Over ‘Character’
A poll finds that most residents want to see changes in zoning and land use laws that unlock more housing construction in the District and improve 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.
‘Growing MKE’ Zoning Reform Plan Would Expand Milwaukee Housing Options
Proponents of the plan say the changes would help reverse decades of discriminatory housing policies.
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.
Waymo Gets Permission to Map SF’s Market Street
If allowed to operate on the traffic-restricted street, Waymo’s autonomous taxis would have a leg up over ride-hailing competitors — and counter the city’s efforts to grow bike and pedestrian on the thoroughfare.
Parklet Symposium Highlights the Success of Shared Spaces
Parklets got a boost during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the concept was translated to outdoor dining programs that offered restaurants a lifeline during the shutdown.
Federal Homelessness Agency Places Entire Staff on Leave
The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness is the only federal agency dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness.
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