Building Codes
A New Kind of Planning Controversy: the Emoji House
A complaint about an illegal Airbnb, a very visual response, and a headache for city officials in the city of Manhattan Beach, California.
Texas Preempts Local Rules on Building Materials
Local governments didn't want the Texas State Legislature to approved HB 2439, but now the bill is officially law. Some communities worry that they can no longer control the aesthetics of new development.
Comprehensive Building Code Update Approved in Chicago
Chicago's new building code is hailed as a major achievement for the city, labor unions, and the construction and development industries in the city.
The Lincoln Park Story
In The Battle of Lincoln Park, Daniel Kay Hertz chronicles the gentrification of Lincoln Park, and shows how its residents displaced renters and the poor.
After Michael: Updating Florida's Building Code to Better Weather Future Storms
Code requirements for wind resistance vary substantially across Florida, with less stringent building requirements in areas of the Panhandle hit hard by Hurricane Michael.
When the Earth Turns to Liquid
A 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck the Indonesian island of Sulawesi on Sept. 25, followed by a massive tsunami. Soil liquefaction caused by the tremor resulted in 1,700 homes being "swallowed" as the soil shifted. Deaths exceeded 1,400 on Oct. 3.
Landlords Owe NYC $1.5 Billion for Building Code Violations
Violations of the building code go unenforced in New York City.
Industry Report: Regulations Add 30 Percent to Multi-Family Development Costs
Two organizations representing the development industry have released a report to highlight the costs of doing business.
In Texas, More Sprawl Means More Homes in the Path of Tornadoes
Revisiting one day in 2012, a reporter finds that many of the Dallas-Fort Worth areas affected by the storms were barely inhabited 20 years ago.
The World's Most Iconic Architecture, Brought to You By Taxes and Regulation
How many now-classic design features are actually tax-avoidance strategies?
Can We Know Which Homes in California Will Burn?
As the state's worst wildfire season ever refuses to end, an analyst from UCLA considers how land use and building codes determine the location and extent of the damage.
Atlanta Ordinance Would Require Electric Vehicle Charging Stations in New Buildings
The infrastructure to support a world full of electric cars isn't going to build itself.
Wildfire Destroys Santa Rosa Neighborhood Outside of Fire Hazard Zone
The Wine Country wildfires destroyed Coffey Park, a subdivision within the urban boundaries of the Bay Area's fifth largest city, and outside of the state's severe fire hazard zones. But the cause wasn't a mystery to wildland fire scientists.
Bay Area Not Prepared for Next Big One
As the death toll from Mexico's 7.1 magnitude earthquake on Sept. 19 climbs above 300, the San Francisco Chronicle investigates how well prepared the Bay Area is for an earthquake of comparable magnitude. Not very well.
Mexico City Earthquake Should Raise Questions About Building Safety
The epicenter of Tuesday's quake was in the state of Puebla, 80 miles southeast of Mexico City. Soft soil and unreinforced buildings magnified the damage. The quake comes two weeks after an 8.1 quake struck off the coast of the state of Oaxaca.
Florida Prepares for Irma: Building Codes, Cranes, Evacuation, Storm Surge
As Irma leaves the Caribbean and heads for Florida, with landfall expected this weekend, there is a lot to worry about: New building codes will be put to test, fuel to evacuate is in short supply, and cranes have not been dismantled.
Audit Finds Houston's Life Safety Bureau Lacking
A city controller's audit finds lots of room for improvement at the Houston Fire Department's Life Safety Bureau.
How Building Standards Failed London's Grenfell Tower
Fire safety experts are rushing to explain the horrific scene in London's Kensington neighborhood last night—after a fire destroyed a residential high rise. The building was recently retrofitted to meet efficiency standards.
Nation's Tallest Wood Building Coming Soon to Portland
Portland, Oregon lives up to its reputation as a testing ground for urbanism innovation by approving what will become the nation's tallest wood framed building.
The Costs of California Building Codes
Reconciling accessibility and safety with costs and innovation in the Golden State.
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
