Land Use
![Dark shot of people dancing in front of bar with red and blue atmospheric lights](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/AdobeStock_70664748.jpeg.webp?itok=eUp-7FZg)
New York City's Dancing Prohibition Remains a Barrier to Entry, Equality
New York’s 1960s-era zoning code still prohibits dancing in small bars and restaurants in more than 80 percent of the city, but Mayor Eric Adams and advocates want to change that.
![Old sugar factory in Domino Park in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_2273382507.jpg.webp?itok=p9wl_lgQ)
Bitter Irony Behind Brooklyn’s Sweet Domino Sugar Sign
A new feature on the Brooklyn waterfront is a reminder that Domino Sugar has made several unsavory appearances in the history of Puerto Rican communities.
![Connecticut](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_1038462586.jpg.webp?itok=1yxgmfv6)
Land Use Reform Picks Up Momentum in Connecticut Again
Multiple statewide land use reform proposals are up for debate in the Nutmeg State. Which, if any, will become law?
![Single-family house with two-car garage under construction](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_1939832473.jpg.webp?itok=q7yUXrXP)
Not Just Use: More Zoning Regulations to Unlock Housing Equity
Prohibiting single-family zoning alone won’t accomplish the needed transformation of the built environment in the United States.
![Close-up of person holding receipt with grocery store shelves in background](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_1934887568.jpg.webp?itok=2t4nJQSM)
The Local Causes of Inflation
Although it is widely seen as a national issue, decisions made at the local level often have a stronger impact on inflation than federal policies.
![Building Heights and Step-Backs](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/NYC-Skyscrapers.jpg.webp?itok=vBaoKqjv)
What Are Height Limits?
Height limits are a critical component of almost every zoning code in the United States.
![Los Angeles Density](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_172033685.jpg.webp?itok=fkLVNClg)
What Is Floor Area Ratio?
Floor area ratio (FAR) is a critical measurement to the field of planning. FAR defines development intensity and determines numerous other regulations and development outcomes.
![Brooklyn Construction](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_430679248.jpg.webp?itok=W2rlGeMw)
What Is Market Rate Housing?
Market-rate housing is a term used to define housing generated by the real estate market without direct subsidy. The price the market sets for housing, even without subsidies, is a direct outcome of policies and practices of planning.
![Suburban Home](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_1303471999.jpg.webp?itok=cM_tB9p1)
What is Single-Family Zoning?
Single-family zoning is by far the most common form of zoning in the United States, but it's facing increasing criticisms both for its discriminatory origins and its sprawling effects.
![Greenwich Village, Manhattan](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_1209195220.jpg.webp?itok=LF-cAfMJ)
What Is Density?
Density is a controversial topic, but public opinion on the opportunities and risks of density have shifted in recent decades. To many, density now has a positive connotation.
![Bronx Apartments](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_16462879.jpg.webp?itok=ZpHKZwcf)
What is Affordable Housing?
The term affordable housing refers to housing units that cost less than a predetermined percentage of household incomes. Planners use affordable housing as a general term to describe housing that doesn't put an excessive financial burden on its occupants.
![Blank Wall](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_142690159.jpg.webp?itok=SkBxEvaU)
The Race Barriers of American Cities
The United States has a long and insidious history of erecting structures to control the movements of African Americans in urban and suburban spaces.
![Zoning Code](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/Frontages_CodeStudio.png.webp?itok=cHoXtFih)
What Is a Form-Based Code?
Form-based codes are a variety of development regulation that departs significantly from the land use control approach of most zoning codes in the United States.
![Plan Portsmouth](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/Screen%20Shot%202015-01-22%20at%208.56.00%20AM.png.webp?itok=Vv_UX9U_)
What Is Land Use?
Land use might seem self explanatory, but it has a very specific meaning in the context of U.S. planning history.
![Parking Space](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/parking16133105772_932fe678bc_k.jpg.webp?itok=HoAJ67pI)
New York Parking Is a Pricey but Valued Amenity
In a city where owning a car can be an expensive burden, off-street parking spaces are still highly desired commodities.
![Downtown Cincinnati, Ohio](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_1087025813.jpg.webp?itok=Z-h4rzqw)
'Economic Mapping' to Help Regional Planning
Identifying potential hubs and activity centers allows regions to foster economic growth and density.
![Seattle Mixed Use Development](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/5148961669_3b18c9ec4f_z.jpg.webp?itok=JDIWVdCh)
What Is Mixed-Use Development?
Long an urban norm, mixed-use neighborhoods fell out of favor in the United States in the automobile age as single-use zoning became common. These days, mixed-use development is back in vogue, but implementation remains a challenge.
![Public Hearing](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/6851825699_b5379812bd_b.jpg.webp?itok=QgASIlej)
What Is Local Control?
State preemption and local control are two of the most controversial and contested concepts in land use. Understanding when and where one or the other takes precedence is key to understanding the politics and governance of planning.
![Oregon State Capitol Building](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_384022336.jpg.webp?itok=GoywAwAg)
What Is State Preemption?
State preemption and local control are two of the most controversial and contested concepts in land use. Understanding when and where each one takes precedence is key to understanding the politics and governance of planning.
![Quang Nam province](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_1163383852.jpg.webp?itok=jCz6Y840)
Generative Codes Yield Better Plans
Ngoc Hong Nguyen of the University of Danang writes about a recent article he authored in the Journal of Planning Education and Research
Pagination
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
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