The Gainesville City Commission recently voted to advance zoning changes that would allow duplexes, triplexes, and quadplexes to be built on land currently zoned for single-family homes.
The move makes Gainesville, home of the University of Florida, on the verge of becoming the first community in the state to end single-family zoning. This development could have significant implications for other college towns, particularly in Republican-led states, according to a Bloomberg report.
The commission’s decision has some strong opposition. Dozens of residents in a nearly seven-hour meeting provided public comments, so supporters of zoning changes seem to have tough battles ahead.
Supporters say allowing denser housing to be built in more of the city will boost supply and cut housing costs while fighting racial and economic segregation. But some requirements, such as minimum lot sizes, density limits, and height restrictions, could limit how much new housing would actually be built under the new rules.
Related Stories
| Jul 18, 2013
Top Government Sector Construction Firms [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Clark Group, Turner, PCL head Building Design+Construction's 2013 ranking of the largest government sector contractors and construction management firms in the U.S.
| Jul 18, 2013
Top Government Sector Engineering Firms [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Fluor, URS, AECOM top Building Design+Construction's 2013 ranking of the largest government sector engineering and engineering/architecture firms in the U.S.
| Jul 18, 2013
Top Government Sector Architecture Firms [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Stantec, HOK, HDR top Building Design+Construction's 2013 ranking of the largest government sector architecture and architecture/engineering firms in the U.S.
| Jul 18, 2013
LEGO takes on the iconic Sydney Opera House
This September, LEGO will expand its LEGO Creator Expert series with a 2,989-brick model of the iconic Sydney Opera House.
| Jul 17, 2013
Top Multifamily Construction Firms [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Lend Lease, Clark Group, Balfour Beatty top Building Design+Construction's 2013 ranking of the largest multifamily contractors and construction management firms in the United States.
| Jul 17, 2013
Top Multifamily Engineering Firms [2013 Giants 300 Report]
STV, URS, AECOM top Building Design+Construction's 2013 ranking of the largest multifamily engineering and engineering/architecture firms in the United States.
| Jul 17, 2013
Top Multifamily Architecture Firms [2013 Giants 300 Report]
IBI Group, Niles Bolton, Perkins Eastman top Building Design+Construction's 2013 ranking of the largest multifamily architecture and architecture/engineering firms in the United States.
| Jul 17, 2013
McLaughlin named Executive Director of the Builders Association
The Executive Committee of the Builders Association welcomes Dan McLaughlin as the new Executive Director. Dan comes to the Builders Association after twenty one years as the Executive Director of the Plumbing Contractors Association Of Chicago.
| Jul 17, 2013
CBRE recognizes nation's best green research projects
A rating system for comparative tenant energy use and a detailed evaluation of Energy Star energy management strategies are among the green research projects to be honored by commercial real estate giant CBRE Group.
| Jul 17, 2013
Retail store openings at five-year high
Analysis by RBC Capital Markets shows that U.S. retailers are planning to open 42,757 stores over the next 12 months, and some 83,700 locations over the next two years, both five-year highs.
