According to Plan

NEW VENUE! We've moved to the Bainbridge Island Rowing Center.

One hundred years ago, with Village of Euclid vs. Ambler Realty Co., the Supreme Court established the constitutionality of zoning. From there, this relatively new practice took off, separating factories from houses, setting building heights and lot sizes, and in its ugliest application, serving as de facto redlining.

Today, this hyperlocal process is interacting with state mandates to accommodate regional growth, spawning debate over control, inclusion, and sustainability. To assess how land use policy can advance its goals, Washington compiled code from 320 jurisdictions into the Washington State Zoning Atlas. Co-creator Tamara Laninga will share findings from the atlas, walk us through the fascinating history of zoning, and reveal the land use policy that lies beneath our most livable communities.

Dr. Tamara Laninga, AICP, is a professor at Western Washington University and the program director for the nationally accredited Urban Planning and Sustainable Development Program. She researches and teaches land use regulations, planning history, and community development and has nearly two decades of experience facilitating community-student partnerships. Over the years, community-based projects have included planning for future growth, flood resilience, and zoning code and comprehensive plan revisions to align with Washington’s Growth Management Act.