Sustainable Westchester is a consortium of Westchester County local governments that facilitates effective sustainability initiatives; engages community stakeholders; and shares tools, resources, and incentives to create healthier and more vibrant and attractive communities. Sustainable Westchester is a merger of the successful and popular Northern Westchester Energy Action Consortium (NWEAC) and Southern Westchester Energy Action Consortium (SWEAC)... Read More

Tucson, Arizona’s Solar Integration Plan and Greater Tucson Solar Development Plan lay the groundwork for accelerated development of solar energy facilities in and around Tucson, requiring the installation of a minimum amount of solar electric generation capacity by 2015. .. Read More

There is an extensive required Health Impact Assessment (HIA) process in Hillsborough County, Florida for any public projects that are proposed to the planning board. Hillsborough County has a six step HIA program, similar to an Environmental Impact Statement, which consists of a screening phase, scoping phase, assessment phase, recommendations phase, reporting phase, and monitoring phase. For all public projects being developed in the county, an HIA must first be completed before construction begins in order to mitigate the public health effec.. Read More

Ordinance 16948 is King County’s Equity and Social Justice ordinance. It supplies definitions related to equity and equitable development. It calls for the development of analytical tools to identify equitable policies. Overall, the ordinance tries to integrate equity principles in all systems of its governance. This ordinance also identifies 14 “determinants of equity.” These determinants were the basis of a separate report called “The Determinants of Equity Report.” This report is part of an initial effort at determining if the county is a.. Read More

Bill 44-20 requires the Office of Legislative Oversight to submit a racial equity and social justice impact statement for each zoning text amendment. The bill encourages the Office of Legislative Oversight to work with the planning department to develop the impact statement. Montgomery County already had this requirement in place for bills and this new bill is an extension of that. The county’s Racial Equity and Social Justice (RESJ) statements can be found here. One is also included here. After RESJ statements are completed, the bill is sen.. Read More

ADUs in Fairfax County previously were only permitted in single family detached homes where approved by the Board of Zoning Appeals. The occupant of the main house or ADU was required to be at least 55 years old or have a disability. Only single-family residences are permitted to have an ADU and only interior ADUs are permitted as-of-right. The homeowner must live in one of the units and there must be at least one parking space for the ADU. The ADU can have a maximum of two bedrooms... Read More

Pinellas County provides numerous incentives for affordable housing development: expedited permit processing, review fee relief, reduced parking requirements, housing in commercial zones, donation of publicly owned land, identifying qualified renters or buyers, density bonuses, accessory structures, reduced setback requirements, street design modifications, and zero lot lines. Where 20% of the units are affordable to households at 60% AMI or below, these incentives may apply... Read More