Exclusionary Zoning
A Pro-Development Approach to Housing Affordability and Economic Growth
Decades of building housing on the fringes of metropolitan areas have mired the United States in a housing affordability crisis defined by a widening gap between the haves and the have nots.
Lawyers Taking the Single-Family Zoning Fight to a Connecticut Town
Open Communities Alliance, along with law students and professors at a fair housing development clinic at Yale Law School, have proposed a development meant to trigger the exclusionary zoning code in the town of Woodbridge, Connecticut.
An Academic Debate With Very Real Consequences: Land Use Regulations and the Cost of Housing
An article from the journal Urban Studies is inspiring debate and controversy over a year after publication, presenting opposing opinions on fundamental questions about how land use regulation affects the housing market.
Newly Exclusionary Zoning Expected for Approval in Philadelphia Neighborhood
The Philadelphia City Council is expected to approve new zoning for Society Hill over the objections of the Planning Commission and city planning staff.
What Trump Gets Wrong About America’s Suburbs
The Trump administration’s talk about protecting the suburbs is based on misrepresentations of who really lives in suburbs and what these communities need.
How Massachusetts Got its Historic Planning Reform Moment
As reported earlier this month, the Massachusetts Legislature is poised to approve historic statewide land use reforms that would preempt local control of residential development. Here's a detailed account of how the state arrived at this moment.
'Housing Choice' Ready to Overcome the Planning Status Quo in Massachusetts
After several failed attempts, Massachusetts Legislature is close to a breakthrough on the Housing Choice initiative proposed by Governor Baker as a tool for generating a lot of new housing supply in the state.
The 'Most Pro-Housing Reform in U.S. History' Expected for Approval Today in Portland
The Portland Residential Infill Project is expected for approval by the Portland City Council today, culminating a six year process that became more and more ambitious with every iteration.
Connecting Sprawl to Inequality and Climate Change
The consequences of more than a century of planning and zoning are gaining more attention in the media as the country struggles through a pandemic. Will these lessons win new political support for more density in residential neighborhoods?
Opinion: The Zoning Reform Discourse Needs a Dose of Reality
Lately it seems like people are forgetting that zoning is a legal process, requiring the support of elected officials.
Structural Racism in the Zoning Code
A pair of articles from the Twin Cities, revealing the racist motivations of exclusionary zoning.
Outrage Over Trump's Fair Housing Victory Lap
President Trump took to Twitter today to celebrate his administration's decision to rescind the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule, approved by the Obama administration to strengthen the Fair Housing Act of 1968.
The Equity Case for Upzoning Wealthy Neighborhoods
New York City has completed a series of rezoning processes focused mostly on lower-income areas in the city. Here's what it would take to upzone wealthier parts of the city, and why the city should make it happen.
From 60 Affordable Senior Apartments to 16 $5 Million Homes
A long development saga has finally concluded in the South Bay Area city of Palo Alto, following a common narrative in the development resistant city.
Anti-Racism at the Neighborhood Level
Communities across the country need to dismantle exclusionary barriers and rebalance spending to invest more equitably across neighborhoods, according to this article by the Urban Institute.
Another Way to Achieve Racial Justice: Zoning Reform
An opinion piece calls out suburban communities for perpetuating structural inequality and housing discrimination. Recently converted social justice advocates should focus their zeal on zoning reform, according to the argument that follows.
The COVID-19 Housing Crisis and the Housing Affordability Crisis Have the Same Solutions
The solutions for the U.S. housing crisis caused by the economic wreckage of COVID-19 will also provide relief in the future, according to this article.
Disparate Impact Won't Save Us From Exclusionary Zoning
The Fair Housing Act (FHA) imposes liability upon landlords and governments whose policies have a discriminatory effect against racial minorities. However, the courts have interpreted this doctrine narrowly.
San Antonio's Housing Equity Crisis Traced to Planning Roots
Lending and planning policies have split San Antonio residents into haves and haves for decades, according to a large feature published recently by the Rivard Report.
Updated: Journal Article Calls for the End of Single-Family Zoning
An article published by the Journal of the American Planning Association argues that single-family zoning "exacerbates inequality and undermines efficiency," and should be eliminated entirely.
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.
Caltrans
Smith Gee Studio
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
