Cities

Daily Mail UK - It has earneda reputation for its trash-filled, rat-riddled sidewalks but New York is not America's dirtiest city, according to a new study. Research published by LawnStarter ranked the filthiest metros across the country, taking into account factors such as air quality, infrastructure problems, and the number of pests scurrying around in people's homes. Its findings showed Houston, Texas, is now the dirtiest city in the US after overtaking Newark, New Jersey, from last year. Newark, which is across the Hudson River from New York City, still ranked in second place. And while the Big Apple didn't claim the number one spot, it did secure 12th place.

Planetizen - Two new Arizona laws will permit denser development near city centers, overriding local zoning codes, according to an article in The Real Deal. “House Bill 2721, dubbed the ‘middle housing bill,’ requires cities with more than 75,000 residents to change zoning and other regulations to allow for duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes and townhomes within a mile of their central business districts.” The article notes that “The middle housing bill didn’t go as far as earlier legislation that would have stripped zoning controls from cities and prevented them from imposing HOA requirements on new communities.” The second bill, House Bill 2720, requires cities of the same size to permit accessory dwelling units, sometimes known locally as casitas, on single-family lots with no design or parking requirements.