Zoning
Orlando Approves New Nightclub Rules
The city ended a temporary moratorium on new nightclubs, replacing it with a rule limiting them to roughly one per every city block.
Affordable Homes Act Targets ADUs, ‘Seasonal Communities’ in Massachusetts
State legislators say the new law could support 65,000 new housing units.
Sober House Zoning Violations Prompt Questions
A sober living house in Maryland has been repeatedly fined by the city for operating as a boarding house, begging the question, where can these facilities be located?
Project 2025 and Housing Policy
The Heritage Foundation has issued Project 2025, a list of policy proposals for the next Republican administration. On housing, it seems to embody a range of perspectives.
‘Growing MKE’ Zoning Reform Plan Would Expand Milwaukee Housing Options
Proponents of the plan say the changes would help reverse decades of discriminatory housing policies.
Colorado Church Fights for Right to Provide Housing
A church in Castle Rock, Colorado is suing the city, pointing out the lack of shelter options for unhoused residents in the area.
Nashville Zoning Reform Opens Commercial, Retail Zones to Housing
An ordinance expanding ‘adaptive residential development’ could lead to thousands of new housing units.
Zoning for Electric Vehicles
Local zoning codes can be adjusted to encourage the building of EV charging infrastructure into neighborhoods.
New Jersey Bill Would Ease Permitting for Home-Based Businesses
The proposed law would eliminate the need for home-based business owners to undergo a review by their local zoning boards to encourage small entrepreneurship.
Millions in California at Risk Where Oil Wells and Wildfires Converge
Those living near oil and gas wells face increased risks from wildfires, which threaten these infrastructures and could lead to explosions, pollution, and other hazards, particularly affecting communities of color.
Slave Descendants in Georgia Fight to Overturn County Zoning Decision
Gullah-Geechee residents of Mcintosh County, Georgia, are seeking a referendum to reverse zoning changes they say threaten their community, one of the last in the South. County commissioners say they don’t have that power.
Wyoming Task Force Considers Statewide Zoning Reform
The state task force will examine six bills aimed at limiting local opposition to new housing development.
New Zealand Zoning Reform Targets Housing Production
New national rules will prevent local councils from limiting development in an effort to ease the nation’s housing crisis.
How to Repurpose Vacant Storefronts
Loosening restrictions on clean light manufacturing can revive dormant storefronts and revitalize communities.
NYC ‘City of Yes’ Seeks to Scale Back Parking Requirements
A rise in permit applications after recent changes to parking requirements shows how parking mandates stifle new residential development and raise the cost of housing.
Commentary: When Neighborhood Change is Inevitable
Changes in the size and type of housing can accommodate different living arrangements and offer opportunities for multigenerational living and aging in place.
COVID Isn’t to Blame for the Retail Vacancy Crisis
A drop in demand for retail space began well before the seismic shifts of the pandemic.
‘Emergent City’ Documentary Highlights Rare Anti-Gentrification Victory
The film charts the saga of a Brooklyn site called Industry City.
How Zoning Affects Greenhouse Gas Emissions
As the urgency of the climate crisis increases, a paper in the Notre Dame Law Review argues that increased density is not a universally effective strategy to reduce emissions and that different strategies are needed for low-carbon places versus high-carbon ones.
Connecticut Cities Slow to Submit Affordable Housing Plans
Per a 2017 state law, all cities and towns must submit plans for providing enough housing in their jurisdictions, but a lack of clarity and enforcement mechanisms gives the law little real power.
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
