Useful Community Development: What's New
Here are the most recent important changes to our website, including new articles, visitor questions, and editors' answers. You'll also find links to significantly revised pages and time-sensitive or short items we want to bring to your attention. Sometimes we also add short items of interest, especially time-sensitive notes about conferences, webinars, or seasons.
Unlicensed Short Term Rentals
Visitor Question: I operate an Airbnb in Colorado. My town recently enacted an ordinance for STR to require a license and a 10% ratio of short term rentals
YIMBY Movement Says Yes to Reasonable Housing Costs
YIMBY is an acronym for Yes In My Backyard. The concept reacts to the NIMBY phenomenon that opposes dense or mixed-income housing.
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Converting a storefront into a church
Visitor Question: I have a building with four addresses, 2133-2135-2137-2139 W. Manchester Ave. I want to convert 2139 into a small church. What are the
Well-Chosen Art in Public Places Creates a Community Focal Point
Choosing your art in public places wisely can make you a hero or shero, but doing too little or too much can make you a villain. Learn about managing the selection process.
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Neighbor repairing multiple vehicles in back yard
Visitor Question: My neighbor's new husband began towing multiple vehicles to her home. We stopped him from placing one car on the street in front of our
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Rezoning historic home to commercial
Visitor Question: I live in a town of about 17,000 in a semi-rural setting. Our county is almost finished with a community plan update which focuses on
Annexation and re-zoning
Visitor Question: I have a 15 acre property which is being annexed and potentially re-zoned from Pasco County, Florida to Dade City, Florida, but the
Renting a commercial building for a church
Visitor Question: We opened a home based new church/mission in Colton, CA City. Now the number of members has grown to about 24 people, thank God, and
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How to remove a 30 year old deed restriction
Visitor Question: The deed restriction prohibiting commercial development on property I bought in 1993 seems to no longer apply and appears to be an unfair
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Economic Development Sucess Stories for the 21st Century
Economic development success stories need to be shared, so that struggling communities can learn what actually works. Counteract hype by sharing your stories.
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Ideal vision of rural development
Visitor Question: What is the ideal vision of rural development? We are having an uproar here about what it means to stay rural, whether we even want to
Excavations next door
Visitor Question: We purchased our property and moved in one year ago. Although there is no active HOA, there are CCRs that do run with the land. The
Federal funding equity for communities of color
Visitor Question: What types of grassroots community advocacy are effective to assure that federal funds to cities and states are equitably distributed
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What does polycentric region mean?
Visitor Question: I have become interested in what our regional planning council is doing because I am concerned about the need for expanding highway access
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