More state legislatures are considering stricter land use and zoning regulations as a solution to the housing crisis. Some local jurisdictions are pushing back.
The high-profile reversal of Montana’s recent zoning reforms highlights a growing movement to shift some zoning and land use decisions to the state level, writes Molly Bolan in Route Fifty.
Long considered a local issue, land use is increasingly becoming a hot-button issue for state legislators seeking ways to ease the housing crisis, reverse exclusionary zoning practices, make housing more available and affordable, and promote sustainable development.
Advocates of state-level reform argue that “While decisions about planning and land-use are felt most directly locally, the consequences of these decisions ripple out across the state and therefore require some state guidance.” In New Jersey, a state law known as the Mount Laurel Doctrine has led to the creation of roughly 21,000 affordable housing units since 2015.
In some cases, states have acted in the opposite direction to block local zoning reforms, as in Florida and Texas, where local decisions were blocked or reversed by state laws.
FULL STORY: States increasingly join the land use reform rodeo
Biden Wants to Incentivize Inclusionary Zoning
Traditionally the purview of local governments, single-family zoning has come under fire as ‘exclusionary.’ Now, the federal government wants to encourage cities to loosen restrictions.
Another Defeat for Statewide Zoning Reform in California
Another year, another defeat for sweeping changes to the status quo of single-family zoning in the state of California. SB 1120 would have allowed duplexes in areas previously zoned for detached single family zoning.
NYC’s Proposed Zoning Reforms Lag Behind Other Cities
Cities like Austin and Minneapolis are making major changes to their zoning codes to encourage housing construction, but New York’s proposed reforms are far less ambitious.
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