One of the nation's most ambitious and sweeping statewide laws intended to spur affordable housing development was signed into law in California at the end of September.
California Governor Gavin Newsom last week signed two bills, AB 2011 and SB 6, which will allow by-right development of affordable housing developments on most commercially zoned properties in the state, allowing projects to circumvent the discretionary review processes of local governments and the review processes of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
The California State Legislature approved the dramatic statewide zoning reform in August, but the final step for approval was far from a sure thing—Gov. Newsom has a track record of vetoing bills favored by urbanists, including an Idaho Stop bill from last year’s legislative session.
“Both bills guarantee union-scale wages and promise an expedited construction process, while keeping development close to city centers to help the state meet its environmental goals and avoid sprawl,” reports Hannah Wiley for the Los Angeles Times. The support of labor unions—split after California Conference of Carpenters and the Service Employees International Union of California decided to support the bill—was essential to breaking the traditional political gridlock and winning approval for AB 2011, according to the article.
An August analysis by Joe Distefano and Peter Calthorpe for Urban Footprint found that the zoning reforms approved by the two bills could unlock enough land for development to yield 1.6 million to 2.4 million residential units.
FULL STORY: In groundbreaking plan, California allows affordable housing on some commercial properties
White House Announces Plans for 100,000 Affordable Homes
The Biden administration has proposed a suite of policy and funding programs designed to create and protect 100,000 affordable housing units. If successful, the program will still fall well short of the need.
Infrastructure and its Discontents
The significance of the Biden administration's expansive view of infrastructure is reflected in the flood of commentary published in the week since the public's first look at the American Jobs Plan.
100 Percent Affordable Overlay: Next Up for Berkeley's Reform Movement
After moving forward with parking and zoning reforms, the Berkeley City Council is also considering a new Affordable Housing Overlay on a model previously adopted in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
‘Forward Together’ Bus System Redesign Rolling Out in Portland
Portland is redesigning its bus system to respond to the changing patterns of the post-pandemic world—with twin goals of increasing ridership and improving equity.
Plan to Potentially Remove Downtown Milwaukee’s Interstate Faces Public Scrutiny
The public is weighing in on a suite of options for repairing, replacing, or removing Interstate 794 in downtown Milwaukee.
Can New York City Go Green Without Renewable Rikers?
New York City’s bold proposal to close the jail on Rikers Island and replace it with green infrastructure is in jeopardy. Will this compromise the city’s ambitious climate goals?
Placer County
City of Morganton
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Dongguan Binhaiwan Bay Area Management Committee
City of Waukesha, WI
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Indiana Borough
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.