12 articles in this category
You've got a site that's perfect for a mixed-use building—walkable, near transit, in a neighborhood that needs density. Then you pull the zoning code....
By a zoning reform advocate — April 2025 You've inherited a zoning code written in 1958. It says only single-family homes on half-acre lots. But your ...
You're at a public hearing. A developer proposes a six-story building on a corner lot zoned for single-family homes. The crowd is split. Some say 'Fol...
You bought into a community land trust because you believed in shared ownership—land held in common, homes sold below market, wealth tied to use not s...
Imagine a map drawn in 1920, still dictating where you can build today. That's the reality in hundreds of American towns. Their 100-year zoning plans ...
Every zoning code tells a story. The one in your town probably started with good intentions: separate factories from homes, keep neighborhoods quiet, ...
A 100-year zoning overlay sounds visionary. Bold. A commitment to future generations. But ask anyone who's lived through a decade of a century outline...
In 2019, the planned director of a mid-Atlantic county opened a fireproof cabinet and found nothed. The zoning map—the only official copy—had been che...
You've got a site. You've got a vision. But the zoning code — written decades ago by people who couldn't imagine your project — says no. Or maybe yes,...
You have a project that makes sense. The numbers task. The neighbor might even cheer. But the zoning code—written decades ago, for a city that no long...
You sit through a zoning board meeting. A developer proposes a mixed-use project in a district zoned for lone-family homes. The board's chair, a retir...
You own a piece of land your family has held for three generations. The oaks are old. The creek still runs clear. You want it protected, but not froze...