Local Control
More States Look to Expand Tenant Protections
Cities and states around the country are reconsidering decades-old bans on rent control.
Zoning Reform Gets Another Try as Massachusetts Wrestles With Housing Crunch
Strong support for local control has made statewide legislation to address the housing affordability crisis difficult to approve in the Bay State.
Parking Tax Considered to Fund Pedestrian Improvements Around Transit Stations
New Jersey is considering a law that would give cities the option of implementing a new 3.5% parking tax on public and private parking facilities.
Making Historic Preservation a Local Concern
The city of Portland wants more local control when it comes to determining matters of historic preservation.
Local Governments Weigh-in on Oregon's Statewide Upzoning Proposal
Local planners and elected officials are expressing their opinions about Oregon's House Bill 2001, which would allow fourplexes on single-family residential units around the state.
Local Control Proposed to Halt Toll Road Progress in Maryland
State legislators want counties to be able to veto toll projects proposed by Governor Larry Hogan.
Wisconsin County Completes First Comprehensive Zoning Code Rewrite in 70-Plus Years
Dane County, Wisconsin, which includes the city of Madison, has rewritten its zoning code to address a changing economy and a state-mandated system of local control.
California Sues Huntington Beach for Lack of Housing Development
California's new governor has sent a strong signal to local governments: build housing to comply with state law or else.
Oregon to Consider Statewide Ban of Single-Family Zoning
Legislation in Oregon would follow the lead of Minneapolis in overturning single-family zoning—for all cities in the state with more than 10,000 residents.
Los Angeles Approves Sidewalk Vending Ordinance
The new ordinance brings long-awaited legal legitimacy to sidewalk vending in Los Angeles.
A History of State-Mandated Upzonings in the Pacific Northwest
Past examples of state and provincial governments preempting the land use authority of local governments present several lessons on how to do state-mandated upzoning effectively.
Cities Sue Feds Over 5G Rules
Cities want more control over the deployment of 5G technology. The federal government has been working to limit local regulatory powers over new wireless technology.
Survey: Public Not Sold on New Supply as a Solution to the Housing Crisis
The public and the "urbanism cognoscenti" do not see eye to eye when it comes to housing policy. A new survey makes the disconnect in opinions on matters of supply, regulations, and affordable housing very clear.
More States Preempting Local Regulations in the Name of Housing
California gets most of the attention, but states all over the country are removing some of the vestiges of local control to help spur housing development, require affordable housing, and control the skyrocketing cost of housing.
Another SB 827? Ambitious California Housing Bill Isn't Quite Dead Yet
It received a lot of press, but ultimately California's Senate Bill 827 went nowhere. Now, the state senator who introduced the bill is working with advocates who opposed it on another version that just might have better chances.
BART Development Law Signed
Under a law signed today by Governor Jerry Brown, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) gains the power to rezone its properties. It's a decisive victory for state preemption over local control in the face of California's housing crisis.
Breaking: Elizabeth Warren Releases Far-Reaching Housing Bill
The American Housing and Economic Mobility Act probably has no chance of passing into law, but it's still the most substantial gesture toward housing policy by a member of Congress since the subprime crisis of 2008.
Silicon Valley City to Approve Massive Vallco Development, Like it or Not
A new state law meant to overcome local barriers to development is having its first big test run in Cupertino, California.
HUD Took a Strong Stance Against Local Control and Hardly Anyone Noticed
Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development devoted an entire issue of a quarterly newsletter to land use regulations and the idea that local laws are strangling the nation's supply of affordable housing.
Detroit Legislation Limits Number of Pot Shops
Detroit has been fighting some of the provisions of a statewide voter initiative while trying to control an expected proliferation of pot shops around the city.
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
