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Mixed-Use Projects Require Planners To Rethink Zoning Standards
Mixed-Use Projects Require Planners To Rethink Zoning Standards

by William Fulton on Feb 1, 2004

Vol. 19 No. 02 Feb 2004

To many urban planners, the "mixed-use" development project is a kind of Holy Grail, a development that combines residential units with commercial space into one seamless project where people can both live and work. Although other ideas are also important to planners seeking to create urban-style places - specifically, higher-density housing and development oriented around transit stops - the mixed-use concept often seems the most compelling.

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Inclusionary Housing Policy Is Easy To Adopt, Difficult To Execute
Inclusionary Housing Policy Is Easy To Adopt, Difficult To Execute

by William Fulton on Jan 1, 2004

Vol. 19 No. 01 Jan 2004

The economy may be a little sluggish, but housing prices throughout California have not stopped going up. So it's not surprising that cities and counties throughout California appear to have developed a new interest in "inclusionary zoning" programs, which require housing developers to set aside 10% to 20% of their units for low- and moderate-income residents.

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Southern California Firestorms Emphasize Need For Mitigation
Southern California Firestorms Emphasize Need For Mitigation

by William Fulton on Dec 1, 2003

Vol. 18 No. 12 Dec 2003, Wildfires

The wildfires of late October and early November - which some fire experts claim were the worst in the state's history - have stimulated a whole new round of debate about whether and how to permit urban development in areas with naturally high fire risk.

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State's Economic Strategy Pinches Pennies, Ignores Dollars
State's Economic Strategy Pinches Pennies, Ignores Dollars

by William Fulton on Oct 1, 2003

Vol. 18 No. 10 Oct 2003

Despite a budget deficit so large that it triggered the first gubernatorial recall in California history, the administration of Gov. Gray Davis has shown scant interest in stimulating the economy. But with the chaos in Sacramento - and the fact that elected officials have a smaller and smaller role to play in actually shaping the state's budget - it may be that no California governor can devise an effective economic development strategy. >>read more

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