The Changing Face of Manufactured Housing
There has been an evolution in manufactured housing: from mobile homes to homes that are hard to distinguish from traditional, site-built designs.
Developers & Builders
Developers and builders often transform land from one use to another. In doing so, they are acting to satisfy a perceived community demand for a service or product. By recognizing the valuable role developers and builders play, and reaching out to gain their insights, planning commissioners can enhance the quality of the regulatory process.
Homeowners Associations
There has been an explosion in the number of homeowners associations in the past decade. A look at some of the benefits and disadvantages of homeowners associations, and how their rules are shaping the lives of a growing number of people.
Improving the Subdivision Review Process
Too often planning commission and neighborhood involvement comes only after costly subdivision drawings have already been prepared. Randall Arendt on three key steps in shifting to a more proactive review process.
Building Consensus
Land use mediation can be an effective tool in aligning divergent interests, developing creative solutions, and resolving heated disputes. An overview of how land use mediation works — and when it’s most effective.
Why Not in Our Back Yard?
Almost all of us have faced locally unwanted land uses. However, these “LULUs” are usually designed to provide vital community services. How your community can harmonize its housing and social service needs with the objections of neighborhood opponents.
Barriers to Better Development
Despite a growing number of innovative development projects around the country, PCJ columnist Ed McMahon still finds a number of persistent barriers to better development.
Why is Everybody So Mad About Development?
Why has fighting development become a national pastime? Edward McMahon takes a hard look at this question, and offers some suggestions for both developers and planners to consider.
All Development Is Not Created Equal
Successful communities understand that when they say no to development that is contrary to the long-term health of their community, they will almost always get better development in its place, argues PCJ columnist Edward McMahon.
No Strings Attached?
Has anyone ever offered you a gift or favor because you’re a planning commissioner? asks Greg Dale.
Bending Your Ear
What do you do when you’re asked, confidentially, for advice about a possible rezoning request?
Environmentally Sensitive Development
Edward McMahon has found that many developers and environmentalists agree on at least one thing: local zoning regulations need to be more flexible.
Community Land Trusts: An Introduction
Community land trusts are offering an increasing number of communities a way of developing long-term affordable housing. An introduction to the role community land trusts can play.
Building On Common Ground
Planners and developers need to work together on issues that really matter, argues Joseph Molinaro of the National Association of Homebuilders.
