Accessory Dwelling Units
Montana Governor Signs Zoning Reform Bills
Four bills that target housing production promise to streamline permitting processes, reform ADU regulations, and loosen zoning restrictions in commercially zoned areas.
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.
California Growth Report: Housing Up, Population Down
Good and bad news can be found in the most recent demographic report from the California Department of Finance. The population dropped by nearly 140,000 last year while housing grew at the highest rate in 14 years.
Bill Legalizing ADUs Passes Texas Senate
If passed by the full state legislature, the bill would eliminate local restrictions on ‘mother-in-law’ units.
Fort Collins Code Update Rescinded Due to ADU Opposition
It’s back to the drawing board for a development code update in Fort Collins, Colorado, after residents revolted against zoning reforms that include by-right development of accessory dwelling units.
Op-Ed: How ADUs Can Ease the Housing Crunch
With the right policies in place, basement apartments, converted garages, and backyard cottages can create a significant number of affordable housing units.
Code Reforms to Ease the Housing Crisis
Ten recommendations for zoning code changes that could make housing more affordable.
The Return of ‘Catalog Homes’
Sets of pre-approved housing plans can lower construction costs, shorten timelines, and encourage more badly needed housing production.
With New ADU Rules, Anchorage Leading U.S. Zoning Reform Efforts
Anchorage recently passed a package of laws that will allow accessory dwelling units in commercial and residential zones, and, in a rare move, on residential lots with existing multi-family housing.
Arizona Housing Bill Fails in State Senate
The bill would have eliminated some parking requirements, legalized more types of affordable housing, and promoted increased housing production.
More ADUs Than Single Homes Being Built in Seattle
Permits for accessory dwelling units jumped by 250 percent between 2019 and 2022.
Huntington Beach Mounts Legal Challenge to State-Mandated Density
The Orange County beachfront community has had enough of the California State Legislature’s preemption of local zoning laws.
San Diego Expands Transit Oriented Zoning From a Half-Mile to a Mile
A recent package of code changes by the city of San Diego will make it possible to build high-rise residential buildings and accessory dwelling units in larger areas around public transit.
Op-Ed: Boston Needs Zoning Reform Now
The Boston Globe’s editorial board calls on the city to take on citywide zoning reform to boost housing construction and revitalize areas that have faced historical underinvestment.
Santa Barbara Expands ADU Program to Boost Housing
The city hopes that permitting larger ADUs and making adaptive reuse easier will help it meet its state-mandated goal of building over 8,000 new housing units by 2031.
Taking the ADU Model to the Next Level
How can we get more accessory dwelling units built, keep them affordable, and make them a force for increasing racial equity?
Pre-Approved ADUs Now Available in Sacramento
The city of Sacramento is making it easier to develop accessory dwelling units.
Op-Ed: Seattle’s ADU Rules Leave Long-Term Renters Out in the Cold
One resident argues that adding a unit for long-term rental is too expensive and difficult, especially when compared to the city’s ‘super easy’ process for permitting a short-term or vacation rental.
Proposed San Diego Code Update Seeks to Increase Density Near Transit
A set of proposed updates to the city’s development code would expand TOD zones and encourage more backyard dwellings.
Raleigh Launches Pre-Approved ‘ADU Gallery’
The city wants to streamline the process and lower construction costs for accessory dwelling units in order to boost the city’s housing supply without dramatically altering neighborhoods.
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
