On Tuesday, balloters issued a resounding 'no' on Amendment 4, which would have required voter consent to change comprehensive land use plans at the city, county and state levels.
67 percent of Floridians rejected the measure, which was first proposed in 2004 by a non-profit called Florida Hometown Democracy. Proponents believed Amendment 4 would free land use decisions from political interests and a process that has led to unchecked sprawl throughout the state, according to Polyana da Costa. Opponents, including both local and national real estate developers, spent $12 million to fight the measure, arguing it would lead to protracted legal battles over land use decisions and higher taxes to support frequent referendums.
Voters may have dismissed the amendment in part because of its ambiguity, writes da Costa:
"It was unclear how many comprehensive plan amendments Floridians would have been asked to vote on each year; how often the votes would have taken place; and at what cost and how the implementation process would have worked."
FULL STORY: Voters resoundingly reject land use amendment
Legal Challenge Brings Down the Plano Tomorrow Comprehensive Plan
Plano Tomorrow, a comprehensive approved in 2015, has been rescinded and replaced with the city's previous master plan, approved in 1986.
Suburban Atlanta Rejects Transit, Again
The third time was not the charm for a transit sales tax in Gwinnett County, Georgia.
Voters Considering Game Changing 'Connect Gwinnett Transit Plan'
Suburban Gwinnett County could change the course of its history by finally voting to connect to the Atlanta region's transit network.
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.
This Toronto Suburb Has More Bus Riders Than Columbus, Ohio
Brampton, Ontario used gradual improvements in service to prove that if you build it, they will ride.
Paris Bike Boom Leads to Steep Drop in Air Pollution
The French city’s air quality has improved dramatically in the past 20 years, coinciding with a growth in cycling.
Why Housing Costs More to Build in California Than in Texas
Hard costs like labor and materials combined with ‘soft’ costs such as permitting make building in the San Francisco Bay Area almost three times as costly as in Texas cities.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
City of Santa Clarita
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