Austin’s Emerging Bipartisan Coalition for Walkable Housing

Last week, the Austin City Council voted to allow "granny flats" -- small accessory dwellings -- in some areas zoned for single-family housing, and to reduce parking requirements along transit corridors. These types of reforms make housing more affordable and make neighborhoods more walkable and transit-friendly.

Dan Keshet at Austin on Your Feet said the vote highlights new political dynamics in the city. For one, it didn't break down along party lines:

The decision comes on the heels of a report finding the city's black population is shrinking fast, with rising rents named as one culprit. The grassroots urbanist group AURA, which campaigned for the changes, told the Austin Monitor the new rules promise to make the city "more integrated and diverse."

Elsewhere on the Network today: South Jerseyist lets Wall Street financiers and Port Authority reps explain why frequent drivers over the Ben Franklin Bridge should get a discount but not users of the PATCO high-speed line from South Jersey into central Philadelphia. Green City Blue Lake outlines a new report finding Akron and Cleveland have fallen behind in providing access to jobs via transit. And Broken Sidewalk says the McMansion is making a comeback in Kentucky.