State preemption, in the form major zoning reforms and mandates for local housing targets, are on the table in the Utah Legislature this year.
Tony Semerad reports from Utah, where State Senator Jake Anderegg, R-Lehi, an "influential" lawmaker on state housing issues, has proposed a sweeping package of housing policy reforms.
Lehi filed SB 34, which "[would allow] mother-in-law apartments, [encourage] construction of high-density housing near transit lines and [add] other steps to the state-approved list of strategies Utah’s cities and towns can use to promote housing affordability," eports Semerad.
"The bill also seeks to tie moderate-income housing developments more closely with transportation corridors, while providing new penalties for municipalities that make no plan for future housing." SB 34 would also "pump an initial $20 million into the [Olene Walker Housing Loan Fund] in 2020, followed by another $4 million each year thereafter," according to Semerad.
SB 34 does not include a mandatory inclusionary housing policy, however.
Utah follows in the footsteps of other cities and states proposing mayor zoning reforms to help spur housing amidst an ongoing housing affordability crisis, and another step forward for YIMBYs and other pro-housing development advocates. SB 34 presents an outlier from previous examples, however, coming from a traditionally "red" state and via authorship from a member of the Republican party, which tends recently to err on the side of local control over state preemption regarding matters of housing and development.
Can Zoning Reform Save Pittsburgh’s Affordable Housing?
With home sale prices growing faster than anywhere in the country, the Steel City could enact major reforms to boost density and lower housing costs.
Will New York ‘City of Yes’ Proposal Make an Impact?
Some housing experts say the rezoning plan is not nearly ambitious enough to make a dent in the city’s housing crisis.
Upzoning Modestly Increases Housing Supply and Affordability, Study Says
A new study by researchers at the Urban Institute finds new evidence that upzoning produces housing supply and reduces costs, while downzoning does the opposite.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.
Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.
Test News Post 1
This is a summary
Test News Headline 46
Test for the image on the front page.
Balancing Bombs and Butterflies: How the National Guard Protects a Rare Species
The National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap uses GIS technology and land management strategies to balance military training with conservation efforts, ensuring the survival of the rare eastern regal fritillary butterfly.
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.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service