Zoning Codes

How one historic district in a growing corner of Washington, D.C. is able to effect downzoning.

May 7, 2021 - Greater Greater Washington

A video published last week by City Beautiful reveals the myths and misconceptions of Houston's land use regulation system.

April 29, 2021 - City Beautiful

Mayor Bill de Blasio is pushing ahead with a controversial approval step for hotel development, despite the warnings of city budget office staff about the long-term consequences of the move.

April 29, 2021 - The New York Times

A panel of Ohio economists make the case for more multi-family housing and businesses in single-family neighborhoods.

April 22, 2021 - Ohio Capital Journal

New research quantifies the effect of parking reforms implemented by the city of Buffalo in 2017.

April 8, 2021 - Sidewalk Talk

A Story Map created by the Louisville Metro Office of Planning & Design Services offers a detailed, visual presentation of the history of racism and discriminatory in the planning and zoning of the Louisville and Jefferson County.

April 7, 2021 - Louisville Metro Office of Planning & Design Services

Ideally, planners could balance homeowners' interests in zoning against the public good, liberalizing zoning when prices got too high. But this may be politically impossible.

April 4, 2021 - Michael Lewyn

Upzoning is a term used to describe changes to a zoning code made to increase the amount of development allowed in the future.

March 31, 2021 - James Brasuell

Members of the Cleveland Chapter if the American Institute of Architects are raising awareness about the unintended consequences of zoning changes made in 2018 to make it easier to develop townhomes in the city.

March 30, 2021 - Cleveland.com

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.

March 24, 2021 - James Brasuell

A pair of advocates criticize recent actions to slow zoning revisions in the city of Philadelphia.

March 24, 2021 - WHYY

The Housing Supply and Affordability Act would be a major victory for the YIMBY cause.

March 24, 2021 - Bloomberg CityLab

Emergency responses to Hurricane Sandy have turned into long-term lessons in New York City, as the nation's largest city crafts a response to sea-level rise and extreme weather by making changes to the zoning code of coastal areas.

March 19, 2021 - Commercial Observer

The city of Oakland in the East Bay Area is a hotbed of planning and development issues, most notably gentrification and the displacement of communities of color. Now the city is considering a drastic change to its zoning code.

March 18, 2021 - Oaklandside

Transit accessibility incentives are also included in a package of zoning reforms proposed this week that would provide incentives for grocery store developments in a wider swath of New York City.

March 11, 2021 - Commercial Observer

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.

February 24, 2021 - James Brasuell

The city that invented single-family zoning in 1916, for discriminatory purposes, will completely remove that exclusionary legacy from its zoning code.

February 24, 2021 - San Francisco Chronicle

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.

February 23, 2021 - James Brasuell

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.

February 23, 2021 - James Brasuell

The Boston Zoning Code is one of the first in the nation to Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing.

February 23, 2021 - Shelterforce Magazine