Land Use Management

The Economic Hotspots Outside of Downtowns

Development in and around cities is different than it was a generation ago. New research looks at the emergence of “activity centers,” asset-rich hubs peppered throughout metro areas.

A Newly Empowered Federal Agency is Trying to Speed up Megaproject Permitting

The Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council represents 13 federal agencies and oversees more than $100 billion worth of projects.

A Bike Advocate Mayor on a Mission to Create ‘People-oriented’ Streets

Emeryville, California Mayor John Bauters, who has gained notice for his punchy tweets about cycling and pedestrian issues, explains his broader vision for transforming the city.

Infrastructure Update: Local Concerns Muddy a FEMA Flood Insurance Overhaul

The Biden administration faces many tricky questions from states and localities as it tries to write rules to soften the blow of increasingly devastating floods.

The Plantation and the Pizza Hut: A Suburban County Reconsiders Its History

Fairfax County, Virginia wants to add unheard voices to its story. That will require changing the way it gathers and evaluates historical information.

Northeast ‘Ghost Forests’ Multiply as Waters Rise

COMMENTARY | New research indicates two factors behind the emergence of “ghost forests” filled with dead trees along the mid-Atlantic and southern New England coast.

Trump Administration Wades Into Local Zoning Dispute, Backing a Church Over a Village

Christian Fellowship Centers of New York claims the local regulations are discriminatory and unconstitutional.

The Feds Are Driving A National Policy of Sprawl

COMMENTARY | "Any legislative or policymaking approach to climate that fails to see the connections between emissions, how and where we build, and our transportation infrastructure decisions, will be destined to fail."

City Officials Push for National Housing Strategy

A new housing task force intends to publish a policy toolkit in June for localities looking to address the affordability crisis, but federal, state and private partnerships are key.

Bill in New Mexico Aims to Stymie Trump’s Border Wall Construction

STATE AND LOCAL ROUNDUP | L.A. teacher strike resolution … D.C. Council overturns mayor’s veto … Dallas STD spike … and a statewide rent control proposal in Oregon.

GOP Senator Proposes More State Control of Endangered Species Act

Sen. John Barrasso, of Wyoming, unveiled draft legislation Monday to amend one of the nation’s bedrock environmental laws.

Trump Shrinks Two National Monuments in Utah

The decision significantly reduces public land designated by prior presidents.

For Governors, Zinke’s National Monument Recommendations Remain a Mystery

“Our staff has been actively requesting the information from the Interior Department, as well as the White House, and we have not yet received it,” according to Oregon Gov. Kate Brown’s press secretary.

Zinke’s National Monument Review Sent to Trump

Details are mostly under wraps, but the Interior secretary said no monuments would be eliminated. There could be, however, unspecified changes to a “handful.”

Trump’s Federal Land-Use Regulatory Battle Targets Obama’s Sage Grouse Rules

“They might as well form a shotgun posse to kill off the species directly,” according to a Center for Biological Diversity activist.