Accessory Dwelling Units
ADUs, Minimum Lot Sizes, and Quadplexes Under Discussion in Traverse City
Zoning changes for everything from housing density to minimum lot sizes are under consideration for a city on the shores of Lake Michigan.
New Research Builds Evidence for Zoning Reform
Cityscape has published a collection of new research building support for zoning reforms as a tool for mitigating the effects of the housing affordability crisis.
Kingston, New York Goes 100 Percent Form-Based for its New Code
Kingston recently adopted a form-based code, taking the rare step to entirely replace its old zoning code with form-based standards while also repealing parking requirements and allowing accessory dwelling units and missing middle housing.
What Happened to the Tiny Homes Revolution?
Tiny homes were one of the hot button topics of the previous decade. In 2023? Not so much.
Richmond Poised to Make ADUs By-Right
A new ordinance would reduce costs and delays for building or converting accessory dwelling units in single-family neighborhoods.
ADU Demand Grows Across the West Coast
In communities from California to Washington, permit applications for accessory dwelling units outpace the ability of permitting and construction to keep pace.
Cincinnati First City in Ohio to Legalize Accessory Dwelling Units
The Queen City achieved an historic day for planning in the state of Ohio.
Are Americans YIMBYs or NIMBYs? Some of Each.
A recent Zillow survey eviscerates a few myths about public opinion on housing issues, but also shows that public opinion is divided.
Should ADUs Count as Affordable Housing?
Without regulations or monitoring systems to ensure accessory dwelling units are rented at affordable rates, citing ADU construction toward affordable housing goals is a disingenuous way to avoid building multi-family housing.
What Caused the Failure of Zoning Reform in Colorado?
Land use reform bills that gained bipartisan support in the Montana legislature were strongly opposed by Colorado Republicans.
Opinion: Failed Housing Bills Could Signal California-Style Housing Crisis in Texas
Legislators in a state that so often touts its policies as the opposite of California’s defeated several bills that would have made housing construction easier, leading to concerns that a constricted housing market may exacerbate the housing crisis.
Denver Makes ADU Rules More Flexible
The city hopes adjusting its regulations for accessory dwelling units will make the process more affordable for residents and help ease the city’s housing crunch.
Albuquerque Poised to Legalize Accessory Dwelling Units
Allowing ADU construction on parcels previously zoned exclusively for single-family detached housing is one component of the Housing Forward ABQ initiative, a larger effort to reform zoning practices in Albuquerque.
California Sees Spike in ADU Permits
Homeowners in the state are eagerly taking advantage of new laws allowing them to build additional housing units, making a small but significant impact on the housing supply.
Montana Governor Signs Zoning Reform Bills
Four bills that target housing production promise to streamline permitting processes, reform ADU regulations, and loosen zoning restrictions in commercially zoned areas.
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.
California Growth Report: Housing Up, Population Down
Good and bad news can be found in the most recent demographic report from the California Department of Finance. The population dropped by nearly 140,000 last year while housing grew at the highest rate in 14 years.
Bill Legalizing ADUs Passes Texas Senate
If passed by the full state legislature, the bill would eliminate local restrictions on ‘mother-in-law’ units.
Fort Collins Code Update Rescinded Due to ADU Opposition
It’s back to the drawing board for a development code update in Fort Collins, Colorado, after residents revolted against zoning reforms that include by-right development of accessory dwelling units.
Op-Ed: How ADUs Can Ease the Housing Crunch
With the right policies in place, basement apartments, converted garages, and backyard cottages can create a significant number of affordable housing units.
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.
