The ruling impacts ordinances passed in 2022 aimed at increasing housing density and supporting mixed-use development.
A Travis County District Court judge in Texas ruled against the city of Austin in a lawsuit challenging multiple zoning ordinances passed by the city in 2022. According to an article by Jo Clifton in the Austin Monitor, “All of the ordinances were designed to allow more residential units in areas not previously considered appropriate for housing. But Council will have to start over in enacting the Vertical Mixed Use Ordinance as well as the Residential in Commercial Development program and the Compatibility Ordinance, all of which were approved in 2022.”
The judge ruled a fourth ordinance challenged in the lawsuit, Affordability Unlocked, can go forward. Lawyers for the plaintiff in the lawsuit, Doug Becker, say they are now “assessing the legality” of the Home Options for Middle-Income Empowerment (HOME) passed last week by a vote of 9-2 and are fundraising to challenge future zoning reform proposals.
FULL STORY: Court signs order overturning three zoning ordinances (Austin, has implications for zoning just passed)
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Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
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Private Donations Propel Early Restoration of Palisades Playground
Los Angeles has secured over $1.3 million in private funding to restore the Pacific Palisades playground months ahead of schedule, creating a modern, accessible space that supports community healing after recent wildfires.
From Blight to Benefit: Early Results From California’s Equitable Cleanup Program
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Planting Relief: Tackling Las Vegas Heat One Tree at a Time
Nevada Plants, a Las Vegas-based nonprofit, is combating the city’s extreme urban heat by giving away trees to residents in underserved neighborhoods, promoting shade, sustainability, and community health.
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