Where Virginia Stands on Zoning Reform
October 14 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
This session is part of our Zoned Out webinar series, exploring how the Virginia Zoning Atlas and related tools can drive more equitable and sustainable housing policy.
The latest General Assembly brought significant new tools and state level standards for zoning reform to Virginia. While we continue to explore these changes, we wondered: how does the Commonwealth stack against its peers, and what can we learn from the latest in nation-wide efforts?
Dr. Kate Howell leads the National Center for Smart Growth (NCSG), a non-partisan center for research and education at the University of Maryland. Emphasis is placed on smart growth, sustainability, and related land use issues — nationally and internationally. The Center conducts research in five general areas: community development, international planning and urban management, land use, smart cities, and transportation.
She previously taught at the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), where she co-led the RVA EvictionLab.
Diana Drogaris is the Engagement Director for the National Zoning Atlas and the National Preservation Atlas.
In her work, Diana oversees engagement with external audiences about NZA activities, managing public communications and working with the Research Director to promote and develop our research portfolio. She has also co-authored several original NZA reports. She previously worked as Associate Editor for Urban Omnibus, The Architectural League of New York’s online publication dedicated to showcasing stories on the collective work of citymaking. She also worked as the Outreach Coordinator for equitable economic development programs at the Association for Neighborhood Housing and Development. She has a master’s degree in city planning from the University of Pennsylvania’s Weitzman School of Design.