A state bill would allow for higher floor area ratio in New York City, designed to alleviate housing costs in the city, has gained most support from legislators representing areas outside the city.

Joe Anuta reports from New York: "Support for a state Senate bill allowing the city to zone for denser apartment buildings is breaking down along geographic lines."
The proposed bill, S6760, would rollback a cap on floor area ratio (FAR) in specific multi-family zones in New York City. In the words of summary text on the New York State Senate website, the bill "amends subdivision 3 of section 26 of the Multiple Dwelling Law to permit the City of New York to replace the floor area ratio (FAR) limit set forth in the Multiple Dwelling Law with limits established in the New York City Zoning Resolution."
The Multiple Dwelling Law currently sets a cap of 12.0 FAR.
"Representatives from within the five boroughs—aside from the Bronx's state Sen. Jeff Klein—voted against the proposal earlier this month, while lawmakers from outside the city were in favor," according to Anuta. The opposition to the law from inside the city comes despite support for the law from Mayor Bill de Blasio, the Regional Plan Association, and the Real Estate Board of New York. Preservation and community groups oppose the bill, however.
FULL STORY: Density bill gets support outside city

New Florida Law Curbs HOA Power
The legislation seeks to cut down on ‘absurd’ citations for low-level violations.

New Tennessee Law Allows No-Cost Incentives for Affordable Housing
Local governments in the Volunteer State can now offer developers incentives like increased density, lower parking requirements, and priority permitting for affordable housing projects.

Planners’ Complicity in Excessive Traffic Deaths
Professor Wes Marshall’s provocatively-titled new book, "Killed by a Traffic Engineer," has stimulated fierce debates. Are his criticisms justified? Let’s examine the degree that traffic engineers contribute to avoidable traffic deaths.

Study: Housing Crisis is About Affordability, not Supply
New research shows that there is no overall shortage of housing units, but all U.S. metropolitan areas face a severe lack of affordable units for low-income renters.

Are Race-Based Lawsuits Affecting Community Lenders?
Shelterforce spoke with community lending leaders and experts about the current mood across the sector. What, if anything, are organizations doing to avoid becoming the next target of conservative activists?

New Park Promotes Community and Connectivity in Lewisville, Texas
The city of Lewisville just celebrated the opening of Glory Park/Parque la Gloria, helping to improve park access and the quality of life for residents.
City of Madera
City of Santa Clarita
Borough of Carlisle
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Colorado Energy Office
Pima County Community College District
City of Piedmont, CA
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.