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.
Condo Conversion Zoning or Regulation Questions for Cities
Condo conversion zoning or alternate approval process should focus on both good development practice and preventing displacement to the extent possible.
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Zoning Ordinance Rewrite
Visitor Question: Our township in Pennsylvania just did a zoning ordinance rewrite. The township manager keeps saying it made just minor changes; yet they
Should only residents of the Village sign petition
Visitor Question: We live on a lake where about 50% of the houses around the lake are in one Village and the other 50% are in another Village. One of
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Location Quotient Calculation Quantifies the Community Economic Base
You can find the location quotient to compare a community's proportion of jobs in various economic sectors to state or national percentages.
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City wants to change residential zoning to agricultural
Visitor Question: I bought 13 acres to develop with housing. The property is zoned R-6, a residential category. Now the city wants to change the zoning
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Easy Community Beautification Projects and Fixes for Stubborn Issues
Learn about community beautification projects to do now, and 8 opportunities and 7 challenges for larger issues.
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Adaptive Reuse Sometimes Yields Spectacular Results
Adaptive reuse, or converting old buildings to a new use, is an attractive means of adding distinctive and marketable housing or business to a community.
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A Fresh Streetscape Can Give a Business District New Legs
Tailor a custom streetscape with eye-catching sidewalks, landscaping, street trees, benches, lighting, good-looking signs, and other pedestrian amenities.
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Being harassed by the city
Visitor Question: My dad's property is in violation. It has been more than two years since we got the first letter. Today, we got the second administrative
Can I downzone in California
Visitor Question: Can our City Council grant us a downzone in California from multi family residential to single family, in order to become eligible for
Start a Community Garden in Good Times and Bad
Start a community garden as a stellar team-building activity that can provide quality food and help neighbors bond in urban, suburban, and small town places.
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Resident told to hire a lawyer to get codes enforced
Visitor Question: I have a neighbor who extended his driveway onto my property and a neighbor who built a pad for his boats, damaging my fence and causing
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Can an HOA add a land use restriction by amending by-laws
Visitor Question: We have a complicated HOA, which oversees 13 subdivisions with each subdivision have its own deed restrictions, located in Michigan.
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How Power Mapping Can Help Your Neighborhood Achieve Goals
We explain power mapping for neighborhoods, including when, why, and how to use this tool to help your community reach policy objectives.
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When deed restrictions and HOA rules contradict
Visitor Question: My deed restrictions clearly state I can position a structure to the front lot line, provided I follow the defined setbacks of the county
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