Zoning Codes

A lawsuit argues that Houston's Historic Preservation Ordinance is a form of de facto land use control, equivalent to zoning, which isn't allowed by state and local laws.

September 15, 2020 - Houston Chronicle

Looking for change in the housing supply? "Don't stop at the zoning code and think you're done. There's so much work left to do."

September 8, 2020 - Strong Towns

As one of the first city's to comprehensively allow for residential density, Minneapolis was probably hoping for more than what it's achieved so far.

September 2, 2020 - City Pages

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?

August 10, 2020 - NPR

An affordable housing project requested a waiver of parking requirements to build 36 deeply affordable housing units in Denver. A local neighborhood organization's opposition to the waiver won the day.

August 5, 2020 - Denverite

Lately it seems like people are forgetting that zoning is a legal process, requiring the support of elected officials.

August 3, 2020 - Notes from the Underground

A new book explains why people object to new housing in their neighborhoods, and whether these "neighborhood defenders" are representative of the public as a whole.

August 3, 2020 - Michael Lewyn

A pair of articles from the Twin Cities, revealing the racist motivations of exclusionary zoning.

August 2, 2020 - Rewire

A southwest Ohio city is updating its development code in response to a desire in the community to better protect the city's existing communities.

August 2, 2020 - Dayton Business Journal

Improved air quality can help achieve equitable economic growth, according to Chicago's newly announced Air Quality Agenda.

July 31, 2020 - Smart Cities Dive

A Portland, Oregon urban planner is pitching the idea of ACUs, or accessory commercial units, as a means of repairing the effects of excluding retails uses from residential neighborhoods.

July 29, 2020 - Fast Company

Once again, New Zealand shows the way! The national government's new urban development policy will eliminate off-street parking requirements and remove low height-limits near transit stations to encourage more efficient infill development.

July 28, 2020 - Stuff

Form-based codes are a variety of development regulation that departs significantly from the land use control approach of most zoning codes in the United States.

July 16, 2020 - James Brasuell

Local governments use zoning codes to define what can and cannot be built. While comprehensive plans and other kinds of plans lay out a vision for the future, zoning codes offer the legal tools to implement that vision.

July 15, 2020 - James Brasuell

A prominent conservative voice in the urban planning debate makes the case for repealing the single-family zoning status quo.

July 8, 2020 - The American Conservative

One of the newest terms in the world of urban planning, Missing Middle Housing has generated a lot of attention in recent years as cities around the United States look for ways to create more housing options in a vast sea of single-family homes.

June 26, 2020 - James Brasuell

Cities can and should look to make changes to the zoning code to support local businesses through this particularly challenging time.

June 25, 2020 - Code Studio

According to advocates, the relative affluence of Gowanus is the reason a plan to rezone the neighborhood must move forward.

June 23, 2020 - The Real Deal

Miami 21 was approved in 2009 and heralded as a sign of a new era in zoning. Since then, Miami 21 has been both credited and blamed for the city's transformation.

June 22, 2020 - Miami Herald

Sometimes referred to as mother-in-law units or granny flats, accessory dwelling units (ADUs) are a hallmark of contemporary planning as jurisdictions of all sizes and histories legalize the construction of these supplementary residential units.

June 19, 2020 - James Brasuell