Resources

How Regional Councils Are Advancing Zoning Reform

Welcome Back!

Hello everyone and welcome back to the Regions Lead Blog – the National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) blog for all things regional planning and policy. We took a hiatus, but we are back and better than ever! You can expect monthly entries from this blog with policy updates, legislative analysis, and summaries from our conferences and webinars. 

Zoning for Stronger Regions

We recently hosted a webinar for the Economic Development District Community of Practice (EDD CoP) with the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO). The webinar, Zoning for Stronger Regions, featured Sara Bronin, one of the nation’s leading experts in land use and zoning law. Sara discussed how regional councils can influence zoning policy to address housing shortages and encourage economic development in their regions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaR4BpU3NK8

 Sara began by reviewing case studies from her recent book and providing a live demonstration of the National Zoning Atlas, a digital map that democratizes zoning policies across the country. In Sara’s view, zoning is a context-dependent policy. Codes that work in one municipality may not work in another. This is why local governments have traditionally been responsible for enacting zoning ordinances. But if zoning is largely the responsibility of local governments, how can regional councils get involved?

The Role of Regional Councils in Zoning Reform

Regional councils, even without direct zoning authority, can play a role in guiding and supporting local governments. Bronin cited the Cape Cod Commission (CCC) as an example of a regional council leveraging research, technical guidance, and their convening power to contribute to local zoning policy that increased housing supply throughout the region. Specifically, CCC drafted a study and wrote model bylaws to support local zoning codes that support region-wide housing goals. CCC also collaborated with Bronin’s organization, the National Zoning Atlas, to map zoning ordinances throughout their 15-town region. Through its role as a data collector and convener, the Cape Cod Commission laid the groundwork for municipalities across the region to address their housing shortage together. 

In addition to localities, state governments can enact zoning measures to meet housing and economic development goals. States across the country have enacted measures like banning parking minimums and requiring “missing middle” housing. Regional councils can provide data and convene partners to support these reforms. While regional councils may not dictate zoning directly, they can support local and state zoning reforms in a variety of ways. View the full webinar here.

Additional Resources

It’s NARC Membership Week – Thanks for Being a NARC Member!

The National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) annual Membership Week will begin November 14 through November 18.  

This week will be all about you, our members, because without your support and leadership, NARC would not be able to do the work we do: bringing regional councils across the country together and advocating for regional solutions in Washington.

We will be highlighting some of the key benefits that come along with being a part of our organization. We want to make sure you are utilizing all the advantages that come along with being a NARC member.

Please stay tuned for updates as we get closer to Membership Week. 

On behalf of the entire NARC staff, Happy Membership Week! We look forward to celebrating with you and hope to see many of your at our upcoming National Conference of Regions the week of January 22nd. 

NARC / Urban Institute Webinar: Integrating Racial Equity in Regional Housing Policy

Register here
Webinar recording will be posted here

Please join the Urban Institute, in collaboration with NARC, for a timely presentation and discussion on integrating racial equity in regional housing policy. Throughout the presentation, participants will learn about policies that promote regional housing equity, see examples of promising work being done across the country, learn about Urban Institute data tools for decision making, and discuss how to unite diverse jurisdictions under one common equity-focused policy agenda.

Speakers: 

Monique King-Viehland
Monique King-Viehland is the director of State and Local Housing Policy at the Urban Institute. She leads efforts to catalyze Urban’s vast housing policy expertise into actionable strategies for, and with, state and local housing leaders. Her portfolio extends across Urban, encompassing a range of housing policy areas from homelessness and affordable housing to zoning reform, homeownership, and housing finance. King-Viehland previously served as executive director of the Los Angeles County Development Authority (LACDA) where she oversaw 580 employees and a budget of $600 million. She was the first woman and African American to take the helm of the 40-year-old agency. She led the agency through significant transformation, including the merger of the Community Development Commission and housing authority into one unified agency to augment cross-agency thinking and client service, increase organizational effectiveness, and reposition the agency as a forward-thinking, industry leader in the provision of housing, community, and economic development.

Gabriella Velasco
Gabriella Velasco is a policy assistant in the Research to Action Lab at the Urban Institute and a contributor to the Housing Matters Initiative. Before joining Urban, she worked with the sustainability program at the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife, providing research and project management support across the state. Velasco received a BA in sustainability studies, a BA in urban political ecology, and a minor in women’s and gender studies from the University of Texas at Austin.

It’s NARC Membership Week – Thanks for Being a NARC Member!

The National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) annual Membership Week begins this week!

This week is all about you, our members, because without your support and leadership, NARC would not be able to do the work we do: bringing regional councils across the country together and advocating for regional solutions in Washington.

With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to pose unprecedented challenges across the country, we are impressed by all the ways you have stepped up to move your regions forward. We at NARC remain dedicated to providing you the support and tools you need to help your organization thrive.

Over the next couple weeks, a NARC staff member will be reaching out to each member by phone to personally thank you for your ongoing support. I encourage you to let them know what you think we are doing well and what we could be doing better to serve you.

This week we will also be highlighting some of the key benefits that come along with being a part of our organization. We want to make sure you are utilizing all the advantages that come along with being a NARC member.

Check out the video below for a quick Membership Week kickoff message from NARC Executive Director Leslie Wollack. And keep an eye out this week for more videos from NARC leadership and staff, highlighting the benefits that NARC provides to its members and offering some ways that you can get more engaged with NARC.

On behalf of the entire NARC staff, Happy Membership Week! We look forward to talking with you and hope to see many of you at our upcoming Virtual Executive Directors Conference the week of October 5th. 

Read the NARC NADO and AMPO Request to Congressional Leaders for STBGP Funding in Next COVID-19 Aid Package

Read the NARC NADO and AMPO Request to Congressional Leaders for STBGP Funding in Next COVID-19 Aid Package

Each and every day we are learning of more and more COVID-19 cases. On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced individuals in 20 states have been infected by the COVID-19 virus.
 
California and Washington State have declared states of emergency as increasing numbers of their residents become sick. King County, Washington leaders have urged at-risk residents to stay home and away from large groups of people. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the Department of Public Health have declared a local and public health emergency in response to the increased spread of coronavirus across the Los Angeles region. And increasing numbers of cases in the Boston area are leading metropolitan Boston and Commonwealth officials to monitor closely the spread of the virus.
 
The National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) invites you to join a webinar on Wednesday, March 11, from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. eastern that will examine the role that regional councils can play in addressing the COVID-19 epidemic. Leaders from the Puget Sound Regional Council (Seattle), Metropolitan Area Planning Council (Boston), and Washington Metropolitan Council of Governments (COG) will discuss how they are responding to the COVID-19 epidemic and the role regional councils are playing in efforts to contain the virus.

NARC Webinar: Regional Planning and the COVID-19 Pandemic

NARC Webinar: Regional Planning and the COVID-19 Pandemic

Each and every day we are learning of more and more COVID-19 cases. On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced individuals in 20 states have been infected by the COVID-19 virus.
 
California and Washington State have declared states of emergency as increasing numbers of their residents become sick. King County, Washington leaders have urged at-risk residents to stay home and away from large groups of people. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the Department of Public Health have declared a local and public health emergency in response to the increased spread of coronavirus across the Los Angeles region. And increasing numbers of cases in the Boston area are leading metropolitan Boston and Commonwealth officials to monitor closely the spread of the virus.
 
The National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) invites you to join a webinar on Wednesday, March 11, from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. eastern that will examine the role that regional councils can play in addressing the COVID-19 epidemic. Leaders from the Puget Sound Regional Council (Seattle), Metropolitan Area Planning Council (Boston), and Washington Metropolitan Council of Governments (COG) will discuss how they are responding to the COVID-19 epidemic and the role regional councils are playing in efforts to contain the virus.

NARC Webinar: The Regional Response to the COVID-19 Epidemic Part III: A Regional Conversation

NARC Webinar: The Regional Response to the COVID-19 Epidemic Part III: A Regional Conversation

Each and every day we are learning of more and more COVID-19 cases. On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced individuals in 20 states have been infected by the COVID-19 virus.
 
California and Washington State have declared states of emergency as increasing numbers of their residents become sick. King County, Washington leaders have urged at-risk residents to stay home and away from large groups of people. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the Department of Public Health have declared a local and public health emergency in response to the increased spread of coronavirus across the Los Angeles region. And increasing numbers of cases in the Boston area are leading metropolitan Boston and Commonwealth officials to monitor closely the spread of the virus.
 
The National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) invites you to join a webinar on Wednesday, March 11, from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. eastern that will examine the role that regional councils can play in addressing the COVID-19 epidemic. Leaders from the Puget Sound Regional Council (Seattle), Metropolitan Area Planning Council (Boston), and Washington Metropolitan Council of Governments (COG) will discuss how they are responding to the COVID-19 epidemic and the role regional councils are playing in efforts to contain the virus.

Regional Resources for the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Epidemic

Regional Resources for the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Epidemic

Each and every day we are learning of more and more COVID-19 cases. On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced individuals in 20 states have been infected by the COVID-19 virus.
 
California and Washington State have declared states of emergency as increasing numbers of their residents become sick. King County, Washington leaders have urged at-risk residents to stay home and away from large groups of people. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the Department of Public Health have declared a local and public health emergency in response to the increased spread of coronavirus across the Los Angeles region. And increasing numbers of cases in the Boston area are leading metropolitan Boston and Commonwealth officials to monitor closely the spread of the virus.
 
The National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) invites you to join a webinar on Wednesday, March 11, from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. eastern that will examine the role that regional councils can play in addressing the COVID-19 epidemic. Leaders from the Puget Sound Regional Council (Seattle), Metropolitan Area Planning Council (Boston), and Washington Metropolitan Council of Governments (COG) will discuss how they are responding to the COVID-19 epidemic and the role regional councils are playing in efforts to contain the virus.