Residents for Urban Density

Residents for Urban Density
Name	Residents for Urban Density
Formation	2010s
Type	Nonprofit advocacy group
Headquarters	San Francisco, California
Region served	United States
Leader title	Executive Director

Residents for Urban Density is a civic advocacy organization focused on promoting higher-density housing and transit-oriented development in urban areas. It engages municipal officials, neighborhood associations, planning commissions, and housing advocates to shape zoning, land use, and transportation policy. The group operates through research reports, public campaigns, litigation support, and coalition-building with elected officials and nonprofit partners.

History

Residents for Urban Density traces roots to local coalitions active during the aftermath of the 2008 housing crisis and the rise of debates around transit-oriented development in the 2010s. The organization emerged amid policy battles involving the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, the California State Legislature, and city planning agencies across the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles County. Early campaigns intersected with initiatives led by groups such as SPUR (San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association), Housing California, and the Urban Land Institute. Founders drew on precedents from national movements around inclusionary zoning involving municipalities like New York City, Seattle, and Portland, Oregon. Legal and political contexts included cases before the California Supreme Court and ordinances passed by bodies such as the Oakland City Council and the Berkeley City Council.

Mission and Objectives

The stated mission centers on expanding housing supply through infill development, upzoning near transit corridors, and resisting exclusionary zoning practices championed in some suburbs and exurbs. Objectives align with policy instruments adopted by entities like the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The organization emphasizes principles reflected in documents from the United Nations Human Settlements Programme and policy frameworks similar to those advanced by the Congress for the New Urbanism and the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

Advocacy and Activities

Activities include public comment campaigns at hearings of bodies such as the San Francisco Planning Commission, advocacy at regional agencies like the Southern California Association of Governments, and testifying at state hearings convened by the California Department of Housing and Community Development. The group organizes door-knock campaigns modeled on voter outreach used by the Democratic Party and community organizing approaches seen in groups like ACORN and Make the Road New York. It produces white papers citing research from institutions including the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, the Brookings Institution, and the Urban Institute. Legal strategies have involved partnering with litigators experienced in cases before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and municipal lawsuits akin to those filed in Los Angeles Superior Court.

Policy Positions

Residents for Urban Density supports measures such as upzoning near stations on systems like the Bay Area Rapid Transit network, denser zoning along corridors served by the Los Angeles Metro Rail and the Chicago Transit Authority, and reforms similar to Senate Bill 50 (California) proposals. The group advocates for transit-oriented development priorities consistent with initiatives by the Federal Transit Administration and funding mechanisms from the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program. It opposes exclusionary zoning tactics associated with commissions in some suburban counties and often clashes with preservationist stances held by organizations like the National Trust for Historic Preservation and local landmark commissions. The organization endorses inclusionary housing policies reminiscent of ordinances in Montgomery County, Maryland and Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Organizational Structure and Membership

The organization is structured with an executive director, policy director, communications team, and regional chapters that coordinate with municipal allies such as neighborhood councils in Los Angeles and community boards in New York City. Membership draws activists, urban planners, academics, and residents from metropolitan regions including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.. Advisory boards have included figures affiliated with universities and institutes like the University of California, Berkeley, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of California, Los Angeles, and think tanks such as Resources for the Future.

Funding and Partnerships

Funding sources reported by the organization include donations from philanthropic foundations, membership dues, and grants from entities interested in housing policy such as the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, the Ford Foundation, and regional community foundations. Partnerships have been formed with advocacy and research organizations including YIMBY Action, California YIMBY, Enterprise Community Partners, and Habitat for Humanity. The group has also collaborated with transit advocacy organizations like the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy and policy centers at institutions like the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies.

Controversies and Criticism

Critics include neighborhood preservation groups, local historical societies such as the Los Angeles Conservancy, and some tenant organizations that align with unions like the Service Employees International Union in arguing development can accelerate displacement. Opponents have drawn on analyses from scholars at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law and community groups in cities including San Jose and Oakland to challenge the group’s positions. Legal challenges have arisen in venues like the California Courts of Appeal and local planning tribunals. The organization has been accused by some municipal activists and local elected officials of favoring market-rate development aligned with developers represented by firms that lobby entities such as the California Building Industry Association and national groups like the National Multifamily Housing Council.

Category:Urban planning organizations