Local Control
Massachusetts Pushing Statewide Zoning Reforms With Steeper Penalties for Non-Compliance
Massachusetts is one of the states in the nation requiring local governments to make more space for multi-family housing. Not all local governments are willing to comply, however.
Colorado Erases Local Growth Limits
Colorado legislators passed a law earlier this year that preempts local limits on the number of building permits issued every year.
Residential Zoning Changes Make Room for Chickens
Yes in my backyard—for chickens.
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.
Federal Bill Would Preempt Local Authority on Telecommunications Siting
A congressional committee advanced a bill recently that would streamline telecommunications infrastructure investments by preempting local control of siting decisions.
Vermont Latest State to Preempt Single-Family Zoning
The approval of the HOME law, S.100, will allow for duplexes in all residential neighborhoods in Vermont. Large swaths of residential zones in the state must also now allow tri- and four-plexes.
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.
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.
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.
Parking Reform Bill to be Introduced at Federal Level
The legislation, which would ban parking requirements near transit to encourage housing development and bring down housing costs, would be a rare federal preemption of local control.
Examining Philadelphia’s Zoning Overlay Districts
A decades-old policy allowing hyperlocal zoning exemptions and restrictions creates a confusing patchwork of zoning regulations across the city.
Bill Legalizing ADUs Passes Texas Senate
If passed by the full state legislature, the bill would eliminate local restrictions on ‘mother-in-law’ units.
Upzoning Gutted From Colorado’s Statewide Housing Reform Effort
Colorado’s “More Homes Now” bill has been drastically reduced in scope and ambition, showing the contemporary zoning reform movement still has obstacles to overcome.
Texas State Bills Would Let Cities Lower Speed Limits
The proposed legislation would give cities the ability to reduce neighborhood speed limits without having to produce expensive traffic studies.
Montana Passes Sweeping Legislative Package to Rescind ‘California-Style-Zoning’
The Montana State Legislature recently approved a package of zoning reform bills modeled closely on bills approved in West Coast states, including the state of California, in recent years.
British Columbia Asserts Provincial Control Over Density
The Canadian province plans to override local opposition to loosening zoning regulations that restrict the housing supply.
Colorado Mountain Communities Line Up to Oppose Statewide Zoning Reforms
State preemption isn’t going over well with local government officials in the remote corners of Colorado.
Florida Law Bans Rent Control Statewide
The DeSantis administration has a signature housing bill. Florida has $711 million in funding for housing programs. Local governments have less power over zoning.
Colorado Governor Wants to Preempt Local Zoning Control
Colorado could be the latest state, following Oregon and California, to legislate statewide preemption of local zoning codes to allow for more housing development.
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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