Height Limits
Zoning Change Could Produce a Skyline Change in Denver
The owner of three centrally located parking lots in Denver is seeking a zoning change that would leverage affordable housing for free future development from height restrictions.
Amendments to Sen. Wiener's 'More HOMES Act' Address Jobs-Housing Balance
"Jobs-rich area," a new term that targets some suburban regions, is among amendments added March 11 to Senate Bill 50, the reincarnation of Wiener's controversial SB 827 housing bill that died last year.
Editorial: Raise Height Limits to San Jose's Proper Stature
The city of San Jose has the "least distinctive" downtown skyline of the nation's major cities, according to editorial board of The Mercury News. The City Council has a chance to change that.
Major Parking Reform Effort Moving Forward in San Diego
Civic San Diego and San Diego planning commissioners approved new parking standards that would eliminate minimums and set maximums of one space per multifamily unit. Those reforms and more must still be approved by the City Council.
Downtown San Jose Could Get Taller
In the Bay Area's biggest city, the debate over density pits two economic drivers against each other.
Bay Area City Could Extend Development Restrictions Beyond Their Expiration Date
A signature-gathering campaign has expressed a desire to extend height and density limits in San Mateo.
The World's Most Iconic Architecture, Brought to You By Taxes and Regulation
How many now-classic design features are actually tax-avoidance strategies?
Trial Over San Francisco Waterfront Development Height Limits Begins
The State Lands Commission filed suit shortly after San Francisco voters approved Prop. B in June 2014, requiring waterfront developments exceeding height limits to obtain voter approval rather than go through the Planning Commission process.
Taller, Denser, but More Affordable Housing Coming to San Francisco
Following a similar ordinance signed into law by Mayor Ed Lee last July that dealt with developments that are 100 percent affordable, the new housing density ordinance apples to market-rate developments that have 30 percent affordability.
Santa Monica Voters Soundly Reject Slow Growth Ballot Measure
The so-called LUVE initiative, which would have required a public vote on any development exceeding 32 feet or two stories, was rejected by over 56 percent of voters. Opponents significantly outspent supporters who failed to get council support.
San Francisco Planning Department Proposes Increasing Heights in Neighborhoods
The San Francisco Planning Department is proposing a trade-off to neighborhoods to comply with a state density bonus law: Modestly increase height and density limits in exchange for more affordable housing.
Tacoma Residents Reject Up-Zoning Proposals
A suite of zoning changes under consideration by the Tacoma Planning Commission provoked its "most well-attended" hearing in decades.
Downtown Miami's Lack of Height Limits Credited with Affordability Improvements
An article in Governing argues that increased housing supply in Bricknell has helped keep down the costs of housing in adjacent neighborhoods like Overtown and Little Havana.
Washington D.C. Downzones to Curb Pop-Ups in Rowhouse Neighborhoods
Owners of rowhouse properties in Washington D.C. will no longer be able to add height and density by building pop-ups. The construction provoked the ire of aesthetically minded critics and, now, the regulatory controls of the District's zoning code.
San Francisco Waterfront Heights Lawsuit Moves Forward
The lawsuit would not restrict heights—just the opposite. Back in June, San Francisco voters overwhelmingly backed Proposition B to restrict building heights along the waterfront. The State Lands Commission sued.
Does Limiting Rowhouse Expansions Preserve, or Prevent, Affordable Housing?
The Washington D.C. Zoning Commission is considering a proposal to limit the ability to convert or expand rowhouses. The proposed ordinance has provoked controversy about the effect of the law for the city's supply of housing.
San Francisco Voters Increase Height Limits for Waterfront Development
Voters gave Forest City Enterprises' Pier 70 development the go-ahead on Tuesday by increasing height limits from 40 to 90 feet. The 65-acre property will be developed into mixed use, with 2,000 housing units, 30 percent affordable, and open space.
Height Limits as a Catalyst for Development
Charles Marohn proposes height limits as a catalyst for development. Yes, you read that correctly.
Plan B: Port of San Francisco Moves Forward with New Land Use Plan
Voters might not want big changes along San Francisco's waterfront—but one powerful agent there, the Port of San Francisco, is examining new ways to do the business of building in the face of pressures from sea level rise and opposition politics.
State Lands Commission Sues to Overturn San Francisco's Prop B
Not so fast, San Francisco Prop B (the approved measure requiring voter approval for projects exceeding height limits along the waterfront). The State Lands Commission has a legal bone to pick.
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
