Urban Planning
15 articles
What Are Local Zoning Laws and How Can Citizens Influence Them?
Despite countless public meetings and petitions, local residents cannot directly write, change, or expand the zoning laws dictating their neighborhoods’ development.
The Stark Divide in Urban Green Space Access
In some cities, residents have access to urban green spaces at a rate 27,813 times greater than those in the least accessible cities, revealing a stark divide in quality of life.
Community Housing: Designing for Senior Well-being
In Philadelphia's Kensington neighborhood, a $27 million, 61-unit apartment building is rising, marking the first major development by the city's housing authority in an area often overlooked.
How to Use Infill Development: A Guide for Local Governments
In Toronto, the 69-acre Regent Park site transformed into a high-density, mixed-income community.
West Side Project breaks ground on music hall and retail
Chicago's City Council recently approved a $55 million tax break for the 1901 Project, a $7 billion development now breaking ground on the Near West Side.
How to Engage With Local Community Initiatives
Most factors influencing community engagement relate to project organization, not community engagement itself, according to a study published in PMC .
What Are Local Zoning Ordinances and How Do They Impact Property Development?
Between 2000 and 2019, 1,136 cities across eight metropolitan regions implemented 180 distinct land-use reforms.
What is neighborhood rezoning and how does it affect property values?
In Minneapolis, houses within city limits saw a 3-5% increase in sales price compared to those just outside, immediately following a major neighborhood rezoning initiative where 87% of high redevelopm
Local Government Operations and Citizen Participation
Community opposition to local projects, often driven by a vocal few, has cost America over $1 trillion annually in the past decade.
What Are Local Zoning Ordinances and How Do They Shape Neighborhoods?
In 2023, the City of Charlotte's Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) began permitting duplexes, triplexes, and quadplexes, along with Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), in all residential zones without
Cortland Street Bridge Rehab: Pedestrian, Cyclist Access Issues
Just weeks after the Cortland Street Bridge closed to vehicles, Alderman Waguespack was already pleading with city officials for "expedited traffic congestion mitigation assistance.
What is Local Historic Designation and Why Does It Matter?
National Register Historic Districts, despite their prestigious title, provide no protections from demolition or inappropriate development by private property owners.
Santa Monica's Tourism Boom Threatens Neighborhoods, But a Solution Exists.
Despite generating an estimated $917 million in annual spending for its local economy, Santa Monica faces a projected structural General Fund operating deficit of $29.
What are Community Land Trusts and why do they matter for affordable housing?
More than 350,000 affordable rental homes could vanish by 2030, a looming crisis projected by Grounded Solutions that threatens to displace countless families and destabilize urban neighborhoods.
What Is Zoning and How Does It Shape Neighborhood Development?
In San Francisco, zoning laws once dictated that only members of the immediate family one generation out could live together, with the sole exception of live-in servants.