Local Control
San Francisco Must Streamline Permitting Process
After failing to meet state targets for housing production, the city must create a shorter permitting process under a 2023 state law.
California Bills Take Aim at Robotaxi Regulation
Local officials want more control over how and where autonomous cars are deployed.
California Bills Would Clarify, Restrict ‘Builder’s Remedy’
The controversial law lets developers skirt local zoning rules in cities without state-approved housing plans.
Arizona State Lawmakers Seek to Override Local Zoning to Spur Housing Development
The proposal would eliminate minimum lot sizes, setback requirements of more than five feet, minimum square footage, and “neighborhood character” requirements.
States Preempt Local Control on Renewable Energy Projects
To meet ambitious climate and decarbonization goals, some states are barring local governments from restricting wind and solar development.
State-Level Land Use Reform Gains Strength
More state legislatures are considering stricter land use and zoning regulations as a solution to the housing crisis. Some local jurisdictions are pushing back.
Colorado Lawmakers Renew Zoning Reform Efforts
The state legislature will consider a package of land use laws aimed at increasing the housing supply and reducing housing costs.
California Cities Continue Fight Against State Preemption
Lafayette City Council Member Susan Candell penned an op-ed in support of a lawsuit to invalidate Senate Bill 9 by four Southern California cities, highlighting a recent supportive court filing by UCLA economic geographer Michael Storper.
Court Ruling Overturns Texas’ ‘Death Star’ State Preemption Bill
The Texas government’s attempt to keep bluer local governments in check has been delt a setback by the state’s judicial system.
Massachusetts Pushing Statewide Zoning Reforms With Steeper Penalties for Non-Compliance
Massachusetts is one of the states in the nation requiring local governments to make more space for multi-family housing. Not all local governments are willing to comply, however.
Colorado Erases Local Growth Limits
Colorado legislators passed a law earlier this year that preempts local limits on the number of building permits issued every year.
Residential Zoning Changes Make Room for Chickens
Yes in my backyard—for chickens.
What Caused the Failure of Zoning Reform in Colorado?
Land use reform bills that gained bipartisan support in the Montana legislature were strongly opposed by Colorado Republicans.
Federal Bill Would Preempt Local Authority on Telecommunications Siting
A congressional committee advanced a bill recently that would streamline telecommunications infrastructure investments by preempting local control of siting decisions.
Vermont Latest State to Preempt Single-Family Zoning
The approval of the HOME law, S.100, will allow for duplexes in all residential neighborhoods in Vermont. Large swaths of residential zones in the state must also now allow tri- and four-plexes.
Vermont Next State in Line to End Single-Family Zoning, Ease Parking Requirements
Both houses in the Vermont Legislature have approved legislation to preempt local land use regulations by rescinding single-family zoning and easing parking requirements throughout the state.
Continuing the Fight for Housing in New York State
After the governor’s ambitious housing proposal failed to make headway in the state legislature, one lawyer argues Hochul should use executive power to move the needle forward on housing production.
Mitigating the Environmental Footprint of Sprawl
There is still time to reverse the environmental outcomes of American suburbs. Researchers in Los Angeles, considered by many to be the poster child for U.S. sprawl, have been at work on the problem for years.
Landmark Land Use Bill Fails in Colorado Legislature
Colorado Governor Jared Polis’s effort to allow for more housing construction by preempting local control of zoning failed to achieve the required level of political support in the state legislature.
Parking Reform Bill to be Introduced at Federal Level
The legislation, which would ban parking requirements near transit to encourage housing development and bring down housing costs, would be a rare federal preemption of local control.
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
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland
