Zoning

Chicken Run

Legalizing Chickens in St. Louis

If passed, St. Louis's new zoning regulations will allow residents of St. Louis to keep up to eight rabbits or chickens, among other animals.

June 20, 2017 - Next City

Mosque

Denied Mosque Rezoning Violated Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act

The city of Des Plaines, Illinois has entered into a consent decree with the Justice Department to ensure it acts in accordance with the law regarding future zoning requests from religious institutions.

June 19, 2017 - Chicago Tribune

Harlem

Harlem Zoning Changes Will Allow for More Density

An additional 3,500 units means more money for land owners and more choices apartment seekers in east Harlem.

June 18, 2017 - Crain's New York Business

71 Street South Side Chicago

Downzoning in the Hopes of Attracting Prestige Businesses

South Side Chicago Alderman Leslie Hairston says downzoning 71st will help 'take control of our corridor,' but some worry the move is a power grab that will ultimately stifle prospects for the neighborhood.

June 11, 2017 - WBEZ

New Jersey History

New Jersey Mosque Beats 'Discriminatory' Zoning

A proposed mosque in Bernards Township will move forward, after the DOJ sued the town for using zoning ordinances to undermine Muslims' religious freedom.

June 7, 2017 - The Atlantic

Washington D.C.

A Relentless D.C. Zoning Activist

Chris Otten says change doesn't come from "being nice to decision makers," so he's comfortable being confrontational with developers and City Council members he sees as taking advantage of the poor.

May 30, 2017 - The Washington Post

Brooklyn

Progressives Against Housing

In Zoned Out!, Tom Angotti, of City University New York (CUNY) tries to make the case against upzoning New York's neighborhoods (or at least its poorer ones).

May 29, 2017 - Michael Lewyn

Seattle

CNU 25 Seattle: Highlights from the Silver Anniversary

A summary of last week's events in Seattle: CNU 25 and ULI, written by Hazel Borys.

May 10, 2017 - PlaceShakers

HP Campus, Palo Alto

Palo Alto City Council Changes Zoning Language to Make Software Companies Legal in the City

Strange as it may sound, the city in the heart of U.S. software country had an ordinance that made such companies were illegal, even though such companies are common in the city.

May 9, 2017 - Palo Alto Weekly

Affordable housing

A Path to Looser Land Use Regulations

Harvard economics professor Edward Glaeser discusses the research on local land use controls, and why it makes sense to reevaluate them. Successful approaches may start at the state level.

May 2, 2017 - Brookings

Expo Line LA Skyline

Proposed New Zoning Around the Los Angeles Expo Line

Los Angeles' proposed transit neighborhood plan for the Expo Line corridor includes minor changes, but nothing earth-shattering. Many of the line's stations remain underutilized.

May 2, 2017 - Urbanize LA

Griffith Park

Planning and Zoning for Growth: A Few Lessons from Los Angeles

C.J. Gabbe guest blogs about a recent article in the Journal of Planning Education and Research.

April 26, 2017 - JPER

Chicago Blue Line

Apartments Zoned Out of Near North Side Chicago Train Stations

Zoning around Chicago's public transit in relatively affluent areas won't allow for density or any kind of housing other than single family homes.

March 16, 2017 - Chicago Cityscape

New Jersey Town Rejects Mosque, Claims Zoning Issues

Bayonne, New Jersey doesn't currently have a mosque, after a heated six-hour zoning meeting officials have rejected an application to build one.

March 10, 2017 - WNYC

Boston

Too Much Parking in Boston

A Massachusetts regional planning agency says many of Boston's neighborhoods have too many unused parking spaces.

March 9, 2017 - The Boston Globe

Housing

Critics: NYC Zoning Promotes Segregation, Inequality

The editors of a new book on displacement in New York argue that the city's historical record of exclusionary zoning carries over into the present. Urbanist concepts in vogue today simply rehash old divides.

February 8, 2017 - CityLab

Pasadena Urged to Purge Poison Pills from ADU Reform Ordinance

Pasadena is adopting accessory dwelling unit (ADU) reform in response to state legislation designed to spur affordable housing options by easing restrictions on ADUs. But is it really entrenchment dressed as reform?

January 30, 2017 - UrbDeZine

San Bernardino Skyline

Inland Empire Community Looking for Ways to Meet Environmental Standards

Those who live in Bloomington, east of L.A., face factories on all sides and a high incidence of asthma. Some feel polluters should be made to 'clean up their messes' with punishments rather than government funds.

January 18, 2017 - Next City

The 'Missing Middle' Affordable Housing Solution

Karen Parolek discusses the 'Missing Middle' that is too often overlooked in discussions about affordable housing.

January 13, 2017 - Modern Cities

School Buses

Op-Ed: Exclusionary Zoning Worsens Education Gap

Pete Rodrigue pulls from multiple studies, arguing that zoning contributes to an education gap between rich and poor students. Housing costs lie at the heart of the problem.

December 26, 2016 - Greater Greater Washington

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.