The ‘Squares + Streets’ plan creates form-based zoning templates for neighborhoods that promote mixed use and denser housing near transit.
The Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA) voted to support proposed citywide zoning changes that would create “form-based zoning templates for neighborhood transit nodes and main streets.”
As David Ingraham, David Linhart, Matthew J. Kiefer explain in The National Law Review, “So-called Squares + Streets zoning would support mixed uses, walkability, adaptive reuse, and infill development at varying levels of intensity, including by reducing the amount of zoning relief required for such projects.”
According to the article, “Once the templates are adopted, Mattapan will be the first neighborhood onto which the templates will be mapped as part of the BPDA’s implementation of PLAN: Mattapan. BPDA planning staff will conduct six- to nine-month “Small Area Plan” studies to identify other transit nodes and main streets where the templates can be mapped.”
All six proposed templates allow residential uses but have strict height limits, parking requirements, and other standards.
FULL STORY: Boston's Squares + Streets Zoning Initiative Advances
California Bill Aims to Boost TOD
A bill proposed by Sen. Scott Wiener would exempt transit agencies from zoning rules near ‘high-quality’ transit stops and allow denser transit-oriented development.
NYC Zoning Reform: Where Will It Have an Impact?
The zoning reform package dubbed ‘City of Yes’ will likely yield uneven results, with many of the lowest-density neighborhoods exempted from new regulations.
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.
Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?
Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?
Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.
Updating LA’s Tree Rules Could Bring More Shade to Underserved Neighborhoods
A new USC study finds that relaxing Los Angeles’ outdated tree planting guidelines could significantly expand urban tree canopy and reduce shade disparities in lower-income neighborhoods, though infrastructure investments are also needed.
California's Canal Solar Projects Aim to Conserve Resources and Expand Clean Energy
California’s Project Nexus has begun generating electricity from solar panels installed over irrigation canals, with researchers and state agencies exploring statewide expansion to conserve water and boost clean energy production.
HHS Staff Cuts Gut Energy Assistance Program
The full staff of a federal program that distributes heating and cooling assistance for low-income families was laid off, jeopardizing the program’s operations.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
City of Moreno Valley
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland