Missoula is rewriting the rules on where people can live. The city’s draft zoning code clears the path for over 20,000 new housing units to meet demand through 2045—a dramatic shift for a city where 82% of residential land currently allows only[...]
Tag: Zoning & Planning
Curio |
City of Regina hopes to draw ‘fresh eyes’ with housing design contest
The best infill housing, says Regina planner Bill Neher, is the kind you hardly notice — a new home that feels like it’s always been part of the block. That’s the inspiration behind the City of Regina’s Finding Middle Ground design competition,[...]
News |
Data centers are sprouting across North Dakota. How many are there and where will the next ones be planted?
Artificial intelligence is transforming North Dakota faster than most expected. Across the state, large data centers are being built to power the technology, bringing with them new jobs, new infrastructure, and new challenges. These projects consume enormous amounts of electricity and land,[...]
Curio |
On This Day | Who Holds the Power to Stop Housing
The zoning ordinance states plainly that apartment houses shall not be located in Eastwood park. The Board of Adjustment desire to know the limitations of their powers. It is reported that efforts are to [...]Read More... from On This Day | Who[...]
News |
Massachusetts opened the door for ADUs this year; 550 Approved
Massachusetts is seeing early results from a new housing law aimed at easing costs and expanding options. In just six months, more than 800 homeowners applied to build accessory dwelling units — small, independent spaces often called “granny flats” or “in-law apartments”[...]
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Commentary |
Zoning broke our brains
Our neighborhoods don’t just shape traffic patterns — they shape how we feel. For decades, local planning rules have spread homes, jobs, and shops far apart, leaving cars as the default way to connect the dots. That convenience has a hidden cost:[...]
News |
Despite calls to postpone decision, Harwood greenlights $3 billion AI center
Harwood’s leaders have cleared the way for a $3 billion AI data center, siding with speed over more debate. In a special meeting that drew a packed house and sharp criticism, the City Council unanimously rezoned farmland for the 280-megawatt project, allowing[...]
News |
Controversial data center moves forward in eastern North Dakota
Tensions ran high in Harwood this week as city leaders advanced a $3 billion data center project that could reshape the small town’s future. The Applied Digital facility promises jobs and tax revenue—but not everyone’s convinced. With Fargo eyeing the same land[...]
Curio |
On This Day | Outmigration, Zoning, and Ice Caves
Unless something is done to stem the drift of population out of North Dakota, McHenry county bids fair to lose a larger percentage of its population in the future than it has during the [...]Read More... from On This Day | Outmigration,[...]
Curio |
Oregon moves toward state-level zoning in push for ‘missing middle’ housing
Oregon is stepping in to tackle its housing crunch with two new laws aimed squarely at boosting “missing middle” options—duplexes, townhomes, and small multi-unit dwellings that have long been squeezed out by restrictive zoning. The measures give the state power to override[...]
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News |
Controversial AI data center company holds heated meeting in Harwood
In Harwood, a town of fewer than 800 people, a billion-dollar question has landed squarely in the community’s lap: should an artificial intelligence data center be built just outside city limits? At a packed meeting, residents voiced frustration, suspicion, and anger toward[...]
Curio |
The Secret Cost of Data Centers
Tucson’s “Project Blue” promised a massive data center complex — but secrecy killed it. Last week, the city council unanimously rejected the plan after public outcry over nondisclosure agreements that kept residents, and even some officials, in the dark about who was[...]
Curio |
Are Walking Tours the Missing Piece in Local Planning?
Charlottesville’s transportation plan isn’t starting in a boardroom—it’s starting on foot. What began as monthly neighborhood walks for wellness and local history quickly became a direct line between residents and city staff. Concerns about abandoned cars, unsafe corners, and overgrown trees were[...]
Curio |
No zoning code? That’s a problem, one Virginia city discovered.
Charlottesville set out to tackle its housing crisis by rewriting the rules—eliminating single-family zoning and parking mandates to make room for more homes. But now, that bold step is on hold. A missed legal deadline in a resident-led lawsuit has temporarily erased[...]
News |
The West’s data centers suck (water and power)
Bitcoin miners in Alaska are chasing a new kind of gold rush — powered by methane and fed by megawatts. A proposed data center on the North Slope promises to convert stranded gas into electricity to fuel crypto mining, with ambitions to[...]
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Curio |
Maine clears the way for more multifamily housing, ADUs
In Maine, a few small changes to zoning laws could pave the way for a big shift in housing access. New legislation makes it easier to build accessory dwellings, multifamily units, and affordable housing—especially in commercial zones and transit-friendly areas. Gone are[...]