Land Use Regulation
What Is a Variance?
Variances allow for development projects to deviate from the zoning code on a case-by-case basis—if the project developer can prove a unique economic or physical hardship.
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.
Watch: Debunking Myths About Houston's Lack of Zoning
A video published last week by City Beautiful reveals the myths and misconceptions of Houston's land use regulation system.
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.
New York Outdoor Dining, Open Streets Programs Now Permanent
New York City will now be measurably less car-centric for the indefinite future.
Walkability Plan, Including Parking Reform, Adopted in Houston
The city of Houston is embarking on an ambitious plan to reshape how new development in the city prioritizes walkability, and deprioritizes the automobile.
'Accessory Commercial Units' for a 15-Minute City
A Portland, Oregon urban planner is pitching the idea of ACUs, or accessory commercial units, as a means of repairing the effects of excluding retails uses from residential neighborhoods.
How Houston Achieved Lot Size Reform
Nolan Gray of George Mason University and Adam A. Millsap of the Charles Koch Institute write about a recent article they authored in the Journal of Planning Education and Research.
11 Years Later: Miami 21 Zoning Code Ready for an Update
Miami 21 was approved in 2009 and heralded as a sign of a new era in zoning. Since then, Miami 21 has been both credited and blamed for the city's transformation.
CEQA Exemptions Could Finally Be Granted to Sustainable Transportation Projects
California has traditionally granted environmental exemptions to large projects like football stadiums, a practice criticized by environmentalists and urbanists alike. SB 288 would change that, with exemptions for sustainable transportation projects.
Planning Without Zoning: The Houston Story
Houston is famous in planning circles for lacking a zoning code, but that doesn't mean planners don't have plenty of tools to determine the future of the city.
The High Costs of Housing Development: It's Complicated
The high costs of housing development do not fit a convenient narrative, according to new analysis by Jenny Schuetz from the Brookings Institution.
States Mandating Housing Deregulation
Housing deregulation for the sake of housing affordability made progress in both Democratic- and Republican-led states last year.
To Clear Obstacles to Housing Affordability, Environmental Law Reformed in Washington
State and local lawmakers hope that recent reforms to the Washington State Environmental Policy Act are only an initial step toward ending the law's use as a tool for delaying affordable housing plans.
Is the Height Act Responsible for D.C.'s Sky High Housing Prices?
The Height Act is up for debate again in Washington, D.C., amidst an emotional debate about housing affordability.
What Is Transit Oriented Development?
Transportation and land use are deeply connected, but decades of planning and development policy ignored the consequences of only paying attention to one side of the equation. Transit oriented development takes a more holistic approach.
Short-Term Rental Legalization Hangs on Zoning Changes in D.C.
The D.C. Zoning Commission delayed a decision that would be the final step toward legalizing Airbnb and other short-term rental companies operating in Washington, D.C.
Minneapolis Debates Inclusionary Zoning
The city of Minneapolis approved an interim inclusionary zoning measure in December 2018, but very few projects were subject to the policy. Supporters and opponents of the policy are sparring over the policy's future.
Ordinance Would Limit Chickens, Livestock in Chicago Residential Neighborhoods
Noise and smeall are the common complaints as more residents of urban areas bring animals to their home to live more sustainably.
Work Underway to Update Detroit's Zoning Code
The first deliverable in the process of updating the city of Detroit's zoning ordinance is publically available.
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.
