ProGov21 Policy Library

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2018

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source Sustainable Development Code

Policy Areas Economic Justice, Food, Health, Public Spaces

Localities can promote farm stands by allowing them as by-right uses across zoning districts and streamlining permitting processes. This memo outlines how farm stand-friendly ordinances expand economic opportunities for small producers and increase the availability of fresh produce....

TOD and Carsharing: A Natural Marriage

Type Article

Year 2009

Level City or Town

State(s) California

Source ACCESS Magazine, University of California Transportation Center

Policy Areas Community Development, Environment & Natural Resources, Transportation & Mobility

The issue of increased traffic congestion in areas with Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) due to dense development and the need for parking despite higher transit use. The city should integrate carsharing options within TODs to reduce the necessity for personal vehicle ownership...

Green Roofing

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2020

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source Sustainable Development Code

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance, Environment & Natural Resources, Public Spaces

Cities can use their zoning codes to mandate sustainable development practices like green roofing, which promotes heat absorption, increases stormwater filtration, and provides recreational opportunities. This policy brief outlines how municipalities have leveraged incentives like...

New Orleans Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2019

Level City or Town

State(s) Louisiana

Source City of New Orleans

Policy Areas Community Development, Housing, Public Safety

This ordinance outlines use and design standards for both rental and owner-occupied affordable housing. It requires that at least 10% of units in new developments within eligible zones are made affordable and ensures that these units will incorporate the same design features and have...

Complete Parks Playbook

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2018

Level City or Town, County

State(s) All States, Pennsylvania, Texas

Source ChangeLab Solutions

Policy Areas Education, Environment & Natural Resources, Health, Public Spaces

Parks enhance communities by promoting physical, mental, and social health. This guide outlines the 'complete parks approach', which helps local governments promote parks improvements by engaging communities who have historically been overlooked during parks planning discussions,...

The Intersection of Trees and Safety

Type Article

Year 2007

Level City or Town

State(s) California

Source Elizabeth Macdonald, Department of City and Regional Planning at the University of California, Berkeley

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Public Spaces, Transportation & Mobility

Local planners often restrict tree planting near intersections due to safety concerns, which may not be justified. This article recommends that cities should not restrict sidewalk street trees unless it can be shown unequivocally that they create unsafe environments. This issue relates...

Retrofitting the Suburbs to Increase Walking

Type Article

Year 2011

Level City or Town, County, State

State(s) California

Source Access Magazine

Policy Areas Community Development, Environment & Natural Resources, Transportation & Mobility

Suburban neighborhoods often develop without intentional land use policies or transportation infrastructure, and as they grow community members struggle with increased traffic congestion and limited mobility options. This policy brief recommends communities retrofit high-frequency...

Seattle Bicycle Master Plan

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2007

Level City or Town

State(s) Washington

Source Seattle City Council

Policy Areas Community Development, Public Spaces, Transportation & Mobility

The Seattle Bicycle Master Plan outlines the city's plan for tripling the amount of bicycle ridership in the city and implementing new safety measures. This document includes graphics detailing potential bike lane networks, cost estimates, a biannual progress schedule, and more. ...

New Engines of Growth: Five Roles for Arts, Culture and Design

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2012

Level County

State(s) All States

Source National Governors Association

Policy Areas Community Development, Public Spaces, Finance & Procurement, Economic Justice, Civil Rights, Environment & Natural Resources

With concerns over job creation and business growth holding a prominent - and persistent - position on policy agendas today, governors are increasingly calling on state agencies to support economic growth. It's not just economic and workforce development agencies that governors want...

Equitable Solutions for Pedestrian Safety

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2022

Level City or Town, National

State(s) All States

Source Smart Growth America

Policy Areas Public Safety, Transportation & Mobility

Pedestrian fatalities are rising nationwide, disproportionately impacting marginalized communities, including lower-income neighborhoods and people of color. To address this, cities should prioritize immediate safety improvements on dangerous streets while adopting long-term systemic...

2015 Chicago Ordinance 1741015 Providing Zoning Incentives for Green Roofs

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2015

Level City or Town

State(s) Illinois

Source City of Chicago

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance, Environment & Natural Resources, Public Spaces

Chicago's zoning code awards a Floor-Area Ratio (FAR) bonus for green roofs that cover more than 50 percent of the roof area in downtown mixed-use districts. Developments with larger green roof plots can earn higher bonuses which incentivizes more green roof development without large...

Creating Change through Arts, Culture, and Equitable Development

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2017

Level County

State(s) All States

Source PolicyLink

Policy Areas Community Development, Public Spaces, Economic Justice, Civil Rights, Environment & Natural Resources

Collectively, arts and culture enable understanding of the past and envisioning of a shared, more equitable future. In disinvested communities, arts and culture act as tools for equitable development- shaping infrastructure, transportation, access to healthy food, and connecting community...

Live-Work Units

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2018

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source Sustainable Development Code

Policy Areas Community Development, Economic Justice, Public Spaces, Transportation & Mobility

Live-work units are properties that combine residential and nonresidential uses in either commercial or residential zoned areas. This memo explains how live-work units reduce car usage and greenhouse gas emissions, minimize urban sprawl, and encourage local economic development. It...

Bridging the Gap: Creating Income Restricted Housing Through Inclusionary Development

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2020

Level City or Town

State(s) Massachusetts

Source Boston Planning and Development Agency

Policy Areas Civil Rights, Community Development, Economic Justice, Housing

Boston's Inclusionary Development Policy (IDP) bridges the affordability gap faced by households that are ineligible for subsidies but still unable to afford housing. The policy requires developers to include affordable units in their projects or contribute to a city-wide affordable...

Purchase of Development Rights

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2018

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source Sustainable Development Code

Policy Areas Community Development, Democracy & Governance, Environment & Natural Resources, Public Spaces

Local governments prevent environmentally damaging land development by developing purchase of development rights (PDR) programs. PDR programs enable landowners to sell the development rights of their land to a trust while keeping ownership and use. This brief outlines best practices...

Parking Requirements and Housing Development: Regulation and Reform in Los Angeles

Type Article

Year 2014

Level City or Town

State(s) California

Source ACCESS Magazine, Spring 2014, Number 44

Policy Areas Community Development, Housing, Transportation & Mobility

The cost of parking is being shifted to housing costs due to minimum parking requirements, which reduces the amount and variety of housing available. The city should remove parking requirements to encourage more and varied housing development. This policy change is related to urban...

2005 Austin Ordinance 20050519-008 Expanding TOD Zoning Districts

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2005

Level City or Town

State(s) Texas

Source City Council of Austin

Policy Areas Community Development, Public Spaces, Transportation & Mobility, Housing

This ordinance creates a transit-oriented development (TOD) zoning district. It expands TOD classification to include different types of neighborhoods and areas, such as Downtown TOD districts and Neighborhood TOD districts, and also establishes design and development standards tailored...

Massachusetts Inclusionary Zoning Model Bylaw

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2007

Level City or Town, County, State

State(s) Massachusetts

Source Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs

Policy Areas Community Development, Housing

This model law promotes affordable housing by introducing inclusive zoning, incentivizing the construction of affordable housing, and requires certain developments to include at least 10 low-income housing units. It also outlines exemptions and incentives available to developers who...

Cities Should Charge the Right Prices for Curb Parking

Type Article

Year 2011

Level City or Town

State(s) California, New York

Source ACCESS Magazine, Number 38, Spring 2011

Policy Areas Economic Justice, Environment & Natural Resources, Transportation & Mobility

Street parking is underpriced and overcrowded, leading to significant traffic congestion and negative environmental impacts from drivers cruising for parking spaces. Localities should implement performance pricing for curb parking, adjusting prices based on occupancy rates to ensure...

2012 San Francisco Ordinance 162-12 Establishing an Urban Agriculture Program

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2012

Level City or Town

State(s) California

Source City of San Francisco

Policy Areas Community Development, Public Spaces, Democracy & Governance, Economic Justice, Environment & Natural Resources, Food

This ordinance establishes land and buildings as different classes of property and establishes a procedure to tax building values at lower rates than land values. It also ensures availability of full public information regarding assessments and appeal procedures; ensure that shifts...

Planning and Health Resource Guide for Designing and Building Healthy Neighborhoods

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2011

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source National Center for Environmental Health

Policy Areas Health, Children & Families, Food, Economic Justice, Civil Rights, Environment & Natural Resources, Community Development, Public Spaces, Transportation & Mobility

This report provides resources to help planners, local officials, and citizens design cities that promote healthy lifestyles. It includes links to comprehensive healthy development guides, active neighborhoods toolkits, food planning guides, public safety assessments, and sustainability...

2023 Madison Ordinance 75911 Increasing Allowable Building Heights for Affordable Housing Units

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2023

Level City or Town

State(s) Wisconsin

Source Madison Common Council

Policy Areas Community Development, Housing

This ordinance would amend sections of the city's zoning code related to downtown and urban districts. It removes the maximum floor-to-floor story height and replaces it with height limits in feet, and also adds an affordable housing incentive for projects with a voluntary contractual...

Putting Cities Back on Their Feet

Type Article

Year 2010

Level City or Town

State(s) California

Source Journal of Urban Planning and Development

Policy Areas Civil Rights, Public Spaces, Transportation & Mobility

Broken sidewalks have become a significant issue, especially for people with disabilities, following a 2002 court ruling that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to sidewalks. Cities should require property owners to repair broken sidewalks fronting their property before...

Parking Reform Made Easy

Type Article

Year 2013

Level City or Town, State

State(s) California

Source Richard Willson

Policy Areas Community Development, Transportation & Mobility

Excessive and inefficient parking requirements in zoning ordinances have led to the overbuilding and underutilization of parking spaces, contributing to sprawling developments and wasted land. Localities should reform parking requirements by examining local planning characteristics,...

Fixing Broken Sidewalks

Type Article

Year 2010

Level City or Town

State(s) California

Source Journal of Urban Planning and Development

Policy Areas Public Spaces, Transportation & Mobility

Sidewalks in many cities, including Los Angeles, have been neglected and are in serious disrepair, making them less accessible, especially for people with disabilities. Cities should require property owners to repair broken sidewalks before selling their property, ensuring gradual...

ProGov21 Policy Library

Remove Entry

There was an error communicating with the server.

There was an error while saving your data.

Error

Update Page Content

You are leaving the page