The Seattle city council passes sweeping changes to downtown height limits, allowing for taller buildings.
"The Seattle City Council cleared the way for sweeping changes to the downtown skyline Monday, and several developers stand ready to take advantage of new rules allowing taller condo and office towers.
Projects that have been waiting for the go-ahead to go taller include two condo towers near Pike Place Market and another condo tower close to another neon-lit Seattle icon: Elephant Car Wash.
Called a 'milestone' and 'turning point' by Councilman Peter Steinbrueck, the new zoning is expected to usher in a wave of residential towers in the next several years. It repeals height limits voters set on downtown buildings in the 1989 CAP Initiative, when residents feared runaway growth.
Now, in the hopes of bringing more residents downtown and curbing sprawl, buildings will be able to soar hundreds of feet beyond those limits if developers meet certain requirements, such as contributing to a fund for low- and moderate-income housing downtown."
Thanks to Felix Sukhenko
FULL STORY: High-rise boom coming to Seattle?

San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.

Has President Trump Met His Match?
Doug Ford, the no-nonsense premier of Canada's most populous province, Ontario, is taking on Trump where it hurts — making American energy more expensive.

Study: London ULEZ Rapidly Cleaning up Air Pollution
Expanding the city’s ultra low-emission zone has resulted in dramatic drops in particle emissions in inner and outer London.

San Jose Mayor Takes Dual Approach to Unsheltered Homeless Population
In a commentary published in The Mercury News, Mayor Matt Mahan describes a shelter and law enforcement approach to ending targeted homeless encampments within Northern California's largest city.

Atlanta Changes Beltline Rail Plan
City officials say they are committed to building rail connections, but are nixing a prior plan to extend the streetcar network.

Are Black Mayors Being Pushed Out of Office?
The mayors of New York, St. Louis, and Pittsburgh all stand to lose their seats in the coming weeks. They also all happen to be Black.
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.
Resource Assistance for Rural Environments
City of Edmonds
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research