Zoning
Re-Zoning For Walkability
It often seems that streetscapes' appearances and forms are immutable, but Los Angeles is trying something new. Through a herculean effort called Recode: LA, Los Angeles is rewriting its codes and, consequently, may change how its streets look.
Residents Disillusioned with the Planning Process in Los Angeles' Chinatown
Sharon McNary reports on a proposed development in the Chinatown neighborhood of Los Angeles that predates, and could thus avoid, the guidelines put forward by one of the most progressive plans in the city—the Cornfield Arroyo Specific Plan.
Industrial Meets Residential in New Vancouver Zoning
Vancouver created its MX zone as a solution to a persistent challenge for planners—how to retain industrial jobs and affordable housing in downtowns.
The Never-Built Legacy of New York's Tech Firms
A big picture explanation, with case studies, of why New York's newest wave of commercial businesses won't leave their mark on the city like it might have in the past.
Who's Right in the Informal Housing Debate?
When Los Angeles County Planner Jonathan P. Bell wrote about informal housing in the region, several commenters responded. So Bell decided to answer questions and critics.
In Defense of Uncertainty in the Development Approval Process
While streamlining and anti-NIMBYism are in vogue, Murtaza Baxamusa reminds us what's really at stake.
How Planners Can Help Cities Thrive
For planners, the key to moving a city’s vision for development forward is to value public as well as private investment in projects, according to urban planner and author Howard M. Blackson III.
Are We Approaching Peak Land Use Control?
With an increasing reliance on development regulations and requirements on land owners to satisfy policy goals, are we approaching an unsustainable point in land use controls?
The Future of Urban Planning: Zoning for Drones
Efforts to regulate the use of drones within the United States have consisted entirely of banning their use, rather than taking advantage of their utility. Yet an alternative approach does exist, relying on municipal zoning ordinances.
Architects Design Fix For New York's Retro Parking Requirements
The "9x18" design team (named after the dimensions of a standard parking space) has evaluated and reimagined New York's parking regulations so they reflect actual parking demand and support affordable housing goals.
Los Angeles Housing and Incubator for Artists Hopes to Grow to Every Community
A review of Art Share LA by Los Angeles County planner Clement Lau.
Is the Millennial Political Revolution Beginning in Philadelphia?
Philadelphia Inquirer Architecture Critic Inga Saffron writes of a possible political awakening among Millennials in Philadelphia in response to the old guard's efforts to stifle progressive parking and zoning decisions.
A Growing Body of Knowledge Examines Unauthorized Housing in Los Angeles
An academic look at unauthorized housing in the Los Angeles area: Interview of Jacob Wegmann by Los Angeles County Planner Jonathan Bell
The Theory Behind NIMBYism, Part 3
When should a city give neighborhood concerns weight, and when should a state or city create clear-cut rules that limit planners' discretion to consider neighborhood concerns?
Philadelphia Continues Zoning Tweeks
The Philadelphia City Council has been busy, proposing multiple bills to rezone a few neighborhoods and parcels around the city. Many of the proposed changes follow the guidance on the city's Philadelphia2035.
Buffalo Releases Draft Green Code to Ease Permit Process
Buffalo recently released the draft of its new Green Code, which includes a Land Use Plan, Unified Development Ordinance, Local Waterfront Revitalization Program, Brownfield Opportunity Areas, and Urban Renewal Plans. Mark Sommer reports.
The Theory of NIMBYism, Part 2
Homeowners' desire for more expensive land does not justify the "NIMBY veto" over new development.
Houston High Rise Ruling a Win-Lose
A judge's ruling provides a way forward for the proposed Ashby high rise development in Houston—a 21-story residential building that provoked a lawsuit by neighbors who have little recourse to protest developments in their city.
The Fallacy of the Millennial Housing Shortage
A dissenting argument claims that the efforts of "affluent urban pioneers" to increase supply in the most desirable urban areas will do more harm than good.
Will Portland's Updated Comprehensive Plan Allow More Multi-Family Zoning?
As Portland accepts comments for its Comprehensive Plan update, one writer asks why so much of the city's zoning prohibits multi-family housing—especially as the cost of rent has increased by double-digit percentages in the past year.
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.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
