State Preemption

Seattle Apartments

Choosing Incentives Over Mandates for Minimum Urban Densities

Washington's House Bill 1923 is one of a number of bills under consideration this year on the West Coast that attempts to leverage the power of the state for the sake of new development.

May 17, 2019 - The Urbanist

Tassafaronga Village Oakland California

Interactive Mapping Tool Illustrates the Impact of California's Big Housing Bill

University of California, Berkeley researchers have mapped the impact of SB 50, a bill that would allow new density around train stations and bus stops in cities all over the state of California.

April 10, 2019 - Curbed Los Angeles

Speed Limit

Portland Completes Massive 20 MPH Speed Limit Overhaul

All of Portland's 3,000 miles of residential streets now have a maximum speed of 20 miles per hour. Similar changes could be coming to more Oregon cities in the future.

April 10, 2019 - The Oregonian

Red Light Camera

Bill to Ban Red Light Cameras Statewide Can't Get Past the Texas Legislature

A committee chair changed his mind about the consequences of a bill that would ban red light cameras in the entire state of Texas. The legislator didn't want, to paraphrase, blood on his hands.

April 10, 2019 - The Dallas Morning News

State Capital of Utah

Finding Ways for States and Cities to Work Together to Solve the Housing Crisis

The National League of Cities has a new report surveying local tools for addressing the housing affordability crisis. State partnerships are included.

April 9, 2019 - Governing

Portland Streetcar Bike

How, and Where, a Big Transit Oriented Density Bill Would Allow Change in Oregon

Analyzing the potential outcomes of Senate Bill 10, one of two statewide upzoning bills under consideration in the state of Oregon this year.

March 10, 2019 - Sightline Institute

Oregon Capitol

Oregon First State to Implement Statewide Rent Control

Democratic legislators made short work of a huge shift in housing policy.

February 27, 2019 - KUOW

Car-Centric Planning

Tax Breaks Offered in Exchange for Affordable Housing in Downtown Phoenix

The state of Arizona doesn't allow local jurisdictions to charge affordable housing fees for new developments, so the city of Phoenix is offering tax breaks as an incentive instead.

February 27, 2019 - Arizona Republic

Orenco Station

Oregon to Consider New Densities for Transit Adjacent Neighborhoods

The Oregon Legislature is already considering one of the most sweeping and ambitious statewide land use reform bills in the country. A new bill would allow even more density around transit stations.

February 20, 2019 - Willamette Week

State capital building

Statewide Rent Control Moving Through the Oregon Legislature

Democratic legislators in Oregon are pushing hard to approve a statewide rent control bill that would be the first of its kind in the United States.

February 19, 2019 - Oregon Public Broadcasting

Astoria Oregon

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.

February 14, 2019 - The Oregonian

Single-Family Neighborhood

Accessory Dwelling Unit Legislation Proposed in Washington Sets a New Standard

If it approves HB 1797, Washington will pace the rest of the nation (even California and Oregon) on reforming zoning to allow more accessory dwelling units.

January 31, 2019 - Sightline Institute

California Beach Town

Huntington Beach Sues California Over 2017 By-Right Affordable Housing Bill

When it comes to housing lawsuits involving the state and new housing laws, Huntington Beach might be ground zero. Over a week before Attorney General Becerra sued the Orange County city at the behest of Gov. Newsom, the city sued the state.

January 31, 2019 - SF Gate

California Beach Town

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.

January 27, 2019 - Los Angeles Times

Governor Andrew Cuomo

Gov. Andrew Cuomo Proposes Plastic Bag Ban After Killing New York City's Bag Law

The Democratic governor proposed a ban on single-use plastic bags in his state-of-the-state address on Jan. 15. Nearly two years earlier, he signed a bill that prevented New York City from charging for bags as the District of Columbia and Boston do.

January 23, 2019 - The New York Times

Electric Bus

California Orders All Electric Buses by 2040

Converting all the public transit buses in California would save reduce carbon emissions in the state by 1 million metric tons by 2040.

December 18, 2018 - San Francisco Chronicle

Beach Homes

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.

December 15, 2018 - Willamette Week

California State Capital

SB 827: Part 2

California State Senator Scott Wiener has released the highly anticipated follow up to last year's failed bombshell of a housing bill, SB 827.

December 4, 2018 - The San Diego Union-Tribune

Street Food

Los Angeles Approves Sidewalk Vending Ordinance

The new ordinance brings long-awaited legal legitimacy to sidewalk vending in Los Angeles.

November 28, 2018 - Streetsblog LA

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.

November 5, 2018 - Sightline Institute

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.