Urban Development

Austin as a Model for Parking Reform
The Texas capital’s new parking law signals a shift in thinking about the relationship between land use, transportation, and housing affordability.

Vermont Next State in Line to End Single-Family Zoning, Ease Parking Requirements
Both houses in the Vermont Legislature have approved legislation to preempt local land use regulations by rescinding single-family zoning and easing parking requirements throughout the state.

Planning for a Post-Climate World
A series of 19th century paintings that illustrates the rise and fall of empire highlights the limits of growth.

New York Suspends Land Use Reviews for Shelters
The Adams administration in New York City will relax the review process for homeless shelters to create new space for arriving asylum seekers.

More People Are Leaving Coastal Cities
Rising housing costs and the growth of more urbanized, amenity-rich small metros are driving college-educated workers away from “superstar cities.”

Where Permissive Zoning Codes Slowed Rent Growth
Recent analysis from the Pew Research Center identifies more support for zoning reform as a tool for maintaining the affordability of rental housing in U.S. cities.

Continuing the Fight for Housing in New York State
After the governor’s ambitious housing proposal failed to make headway in the state legislature, one lawyer argues Hochul should use executive power to move the needle forward on housing production.

Save the Clocktower! Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Chair Sara Bronin Joins The Planning Commission Podcast
Sara Bronin was recently appointed by President Biden to chair the ACHP. In this episode she takes us back to the future on what historic preservation means to American cities and what planners can do to balance preservation with contemporary needs.

Is it Time to Revise D.C.’s Height Act?
The century-old rule has shaped the District’s iconic horizontal skyline, but some Council members say it need revision in light of the region’s growing housing crisis.

How to Make Office Conversions Easier
To encourage more housing production, lawmakers could help make the costly and time-consuming adaptive reuse process easier and more cost-effective.

Mitigating the Environmental Footprint of Sprawl
There is still time to reverse the environmental outcomes of American suburbs. Researchers in Los Angeles, considered by many to be the poster child for U.S. sprawl, have been at work on the problem for years.

Landmark Land Use Bill Fails in Colorado Legislature
Colorado Governor Jared Polis’s effort to allow for more housing construction by preempting local control of zoning failed to achieve the required level of political support in the state legislature.

Most Influential Urbanists: Call for Nominees
Change doesn’t happen accidentally. Who are the people shaping cities and communities through the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond?

How Is Supply Chain Expansion Impacting Urban Development?
Supply chain expansion can have specific impacts on urban development as people move to metropolitan areas and require more involved participation at all levels of the supply chain.

Remote Work and the Shift to Suburbia
Is the growth of working from home turning America into a ‘suburban nation?’

Austin Eliminates Parking Requirements
After eliminating downtown parking requirements ten years ago, the city will now end minimum parking mandates citywide.

Conservation Easement Program Protects 100,000 Acres of Agricultural Land in New York State
A state famous for its largest city is making a concerted effort to protect agricultural lands as part of a larger national push.

A Toolkit of Urban Vehicle Access Regulations to Improve Livability
You may have heard Paris is implementing traffic restrictions, but did you know that Paris is very late to the party? European cities, big and small, have been implementing measures to keep traffic from destroying urban quality of life for decades.

Charlotte’s New Zoning Code, Set to Launch in June, Faces Tough Tests
Faced with the challenges and controversies of rapid growth, Charlotte has approved a new comprehensive plan and unified development code in recent years.

Thinking About Right-NIMBYism
Some conservatives oppose new housing on the ground that exclusion will “save” their neighborhoods from poor people. Is there any response to these arguments?
Pagination
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