Zoning
Conventional Planning May Be Contributing to Cleveland's Decline
Reason.tv has launched a multipart series of videos on how the city of Cleveland can turn itself around using free-market approaches and limited government reforms.
Turning Illegal Basements into Affordable Housing
Most of the new housing units being occupied in New York City are illegal basement spaces. Bringing those spaces up to code could create thousands of units of affordable housing in the city.
Urbanites Make the Case for Goats as Pets
The don't bite. They don't need much space. They follow kids around like a dog. We're talking about miniature goats. Planning commissions across the country are being asked to moved the hooved animals into the "pet" category.
Zoning for Food Trucks
Food trucks are hot in Los Angeles, but local restaurateurs are understandably upset by the surprise competition. Mobile vendors have banded together and established a "gourmet food lot" downtown as a sort of solution.
Architect Banned From Brooklyn For Deceiving Planning Dept.
A judge has banned Brookyln architect Robert M. Scarano Jr from submitting building plans to the city after many of his buildings allegedly were built taller or larger than the plans portrayed.
Virginia Supreme Court Voids Part of Chesterfield County's Subdivision Ordinance
While the basis of last week's ruling is a 7-acre property, the decision temporarily opens the door for all agriculturally zoned properties in the county to be subdivided into 1-acre parcels.
New Zoning for Design Stirs Controversy
In Anchorage, Alaska, planners are rolling out a substantial new version of their zoning code, which includes some design requirements like no blank walls. Business owners are up in arms over the proposed changes.
Policy Confusion Over Food Trucks
Food trucks are becoming an increasingly visible part of streetlife in many cities, but few have figured out how to deal with them from a policy standpoint.
What Lies 20 Years Ahead for London
The Guardian asks prominent thinkers what sort of city London will be in 20 years.
New Baltimore Zoning May Nix Downtown Parking Lots
New parking lots and obstructed views of historic buildings would be forbidden under a new set of zoning rules being discussed for downtown Baltimore.
Filling in the City
As climate talks start and stop in Copenhagen, Anthony Flint argues for local action by affecting the built environment. He calls for more infill redevelopment, saying "we need more city".
Wind Woes
A North Dakota man says he'll fight his city to keep his wind turbine.
Backyard Burials
I am prompted to report on this issue I came across in a news item last week. A Baptist minister in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, buried his 18-year-old son, who died three days after a car crash on July 12, in the backyard of the pastor’s church. While state law doesn’t prohibit this, some county and local ordinances do, and this county, Fayette County, only allows burials on large parcels zoned for agricultural use. The church has only five acres and is in a residential zone.
Curing Sprawl in Lansing
Like many American cities, Lansing, Michigan, has been afflicted with sprawl since the end of World War II. Locals have identified the culprit: separate-use zoning.
Center for Developmentally Disabled Doesn't Fit Zoning - Any Zoning
The Winterville, GA Planning Commission rejected the idea of creating a special "assisted residential district" for a center for developmentally disabled people, saying that the proposal was too vague.
Boom in Utah Town
Growth is at a standstill in most western boomtowns, but not in well-planned, thriving South Jordan, UT. An expedited permitting process and good planning are given credit as catalysts for growth.
Seattle Approves Backyard Cottages
The Seattle City Council has unanimously approved an ordinance that will allow owners of single family homes to construct additional cottage-like housing units on their property.
Don't Bogart That Joint, My Friend
"Don't Bogart That Joint, My Friend" Lyrics: Lawrence Wagner Music: Elliot Ingber (on the soundtrack of "Easy Rider") Chorus Don't bogart that joint my friend Pass it over to me Don't bogart that joint my friend Pass it over to me Roll another one Just like the other one You've been holding on to it And I sure will like a hit [chorus] Roll another one Just like the other one That one's burned to the end Come on and be a real friend [chorus] Marijuana is prescribed for certain medical conditions, such as pain relief, control of nausea and vomiting, and appetite stimulation. Since 1996, at least 13 states have legalized the sale of medical marijuana. Now, check your zoning regulations and see what districts allow this land use: "Retail Sales – Medical Marijuana." Couldn’t find it, right?
Halloween Costumes for Urban Planners - 2nd Edition
The second edition list of the best urban planning costume ideas.
Form-Based Code Approved in Miami
Commissioners in Miami have voted to replace the city's use-based zoning code with a form-based code, dubbed Miami 21, which had been in the works for years.
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
