Category: Housing and Community Development

Economic Development, Housing and Community Development, Land Use and Environmental Planning, Public Health, Transportation

Current Planning-Related Legislation in the North Carolina General Assembly

The Planner’s toolbox is being modified constantly by laws passed and policies enacted at every level of government. Being aware of existing laws, as well as proposed legislation, is important for planners, communities, and advocates working throughout the state. Here’s a sample of the planning-related bills currently under consideration at the state level in the North Carolina General Assembly: House Bill 3 / Senate Bill 34: … Continue reading Current Planning-Related Legislation in the North Carolina General Assembly

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Housing and Community Development, Research Triangle

Community Planning for Age-Friendly Communities: Orange County Creates Its Next Master Aging Plan

Orange County, NC is already a great place for people of all ages to live, but the county Department on Aging is leading an effort to become even more age-friendly. To achieve this goal, the Department is leading a comprehensive community planning process to create a five-year Master Aging Plan (MAP). Like previous MAPs, the 2017-2022 MAP will become a roadmap for decision-making and action around all things aging. Continue reading Community Planning for Age-Friendly Communities: Orange County Creates Its Next Master Aging Plan

Unknown's avatarCarolina Planning Journal
Housing and Community Development

Intergenerational Housing: Creative Solutions to Tough Challenges

A version of this post was originally published by the UNC School of Government as part of their Community and Economic Development blog series. It was reproduced with permission. Click here to visit the Community and Economic Development website. In the Town of Carol-Blue, Donny, a local community developer, finds himself in a really tough position: both the county and city budgets are constrained and … Continue reading Intergenerational Housing: Creative Solutions to Tough Challenges

Unknown's avatarCarolina Planning Journal
Housing and Community Development, Transportation

What this election means for planners

As you likely know, November 8 is Election Day in the United States. Voters will decide who will succeed President Obama and, with that decision, the policy direction for our nation over the next four years. As our nation’s largest cities continue to grow, federal policy, particularly in terms of housing and transportation, will play a significant role in shaping the evolution of our nation’s urban … Continue reading What this election means for planners

Unknown's avatarCarolina Planning Journal
Hazards, Housing and Community Development

After the Flood, the Decision to Rebuild or Leave Permanently

As I write this, residents from flooded neighborhoods in eastern North Carolina are sitting in crowded high school gyms, staying at area motels, and bunked with family and friends. While Hurricane Matthew threw high winds and storm surge at coastal communities, devastating flooding came to inland communities. Rivers bulged over their banks, entering homes and covering roads in a growing mass of moving water. When … Continue reading After the Flood, the Decision to Rebuild or Leave Permanently

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Housing and Community Development, Social Justice

Injecting Social Justice into Local Government

On September 28th, Durham City Councilwoman Jillian Johnson and Mel Norton of Duke University’s Cook Center on Social Equity visited UNC’s Department of City and Regional Planning to discuss with students and faculty the work of balancing social justice advocacy while serving in local government. Continue reading Injecting Social Justice into Local Government

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Economic Development, Housing and Community Development

What We Talk About When We Talk About PB (Hint: It’s Spreadable!)

“Participatory budgeting” doesn’t quite roll off the tongue. And it has to do with municipal budgets. So given its built-in challenges as a public engagement tool, it’s somewhat surprising that participatory budgeting is emerging as a dynamic way to strengthen local democracy in the United States. Another surprise: one of the most inclusive and grassroots participatory budgeting processes in the US is taking place in … Continue reading What We Talk About When We Talk About PB (Hint: It’s Spreadable!)

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Housing and Community Development, Placemaking and Design

Planning, Design, and Architecture for Affordability

Over the summer, design and planning professionals gathered at AIA North Carolina’s Center for Architecture and Design (CfAD) to attend an expert panel on the subject of alleviating homelessness through design. The conversation centered around a hypothetical, transitional housing community, that would be located outside of downtown Raleigh. This comes in the wake of the announcement of the finalists for Activate14’s Tiny Home Community Ideas … Continue reading Planning, Design, and Architecture for Affordability

Unknown's avatarCarolina Planning Journal
Hazards, Housing and Community Development

Gulf Coast Communities Mark Ten Years Since Katrina

On August 29, communities across the Gulf Coast stopped to mark the ten-year anniversary of the storm that changed the landscape of Louisiana, Mississippi, and coastal Alabama. President Obama paid the region a visit, acknowledging that “we came to realize that what started out as a natural disaster became a manmade disaster — a failure of government to look out for its own citizens” in … Continue reading Gulf Coast Communities Mark Ten Years Since Katrina

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