After months of discussion, St. Lucie County Commissioners approved a controversial amendment to their long-range plan. The "Towns, Villages and Countryside" plan limits growth to towns or villages instead of subdivisions, and mandates open space.
The Towns, Villages and Countryside Plan affects 28 square miles of land beyond the County's urban service area boundary, and will allow clustering of development in exchange for preservation of land as agriculture, neighborhood parks, civic buildings or workforce housing in excess of that required by the Plan. The Town or Village must be a specified minimum size.
Proponents praise the plan as an example of controlled growth. Opponents are concerned about the emergence of a development pattern "worse than Miami's", and undue restrictions on private property rights. One County Commissioner fears the impact on small family farms.
Thanks to Sheryl Stolzenberg
FULL STORY: St. Lucie to move ahead on TVC plan
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
Downtown Los Angeles on the Rise: A Promising 2025
Fueled by new developments, cultural investments, and a growing dining scene, downtown Los Angeles is poised for significant growth in 2025, despite challenges from recent wildfires and economic uncertainties.
San Francisco Slow Streets Bucks Citywide Trend, Reducing Injuries by 61 Percent
Low-cost interventions aimed at slowing traffic are making a major impact on road safety.
How Single-Family Conversions Benefit Both Homeowners and Cities
Converting single-family homes to triplexes can ease the housing crisis and offer affordable, flexible options for more households. Why is it largely illegal?
Report: Transportation Equity Requires More Than Electrification
Lower-income households often lack the resources to buy electric cars, signaling a need for a more holistic approach to improving mobility and lowering transportation costs.
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.
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research