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Getty Awards $1.8M to Increase Access to Black Visual Arts Archives
LOS ANGELES, California, May 14 -- The J. Paul Getty Trust issued the following news release on May 13, 2026:* * *
Getty Awards $1.8M to Increase Access to Black Visual Arts Archives
Critical support for eight new projects will activate essential documents of the history of Black art in the U.S.
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The Getty Foundation announced today it has awarded $1.8 million for eight grants through its Black Visual Arts Archives initiative, a national, multi-year program to enhance access to archival collections related to Black artists and arts organizations.
This new round of grants brings Getty's ... Show Full Article LOS ANGELES, California, May 14 -- The J. Paul Getty Trust issued the following news release on May 13, 2026: * * * Getty Awards $1.8M to Increase Access to Black Visual Arts Archives Critical support for eight new projects will activate essential documents of the history of Black art in the U.S. * The Getty Foundation announced today it has awarded $1.8 million for eight grants through its Black Visual Arts Archives initiative, a national, multi-year program to enhance access to archival collections related to Black artists and arts organizations. This new round of grants brings Getty'stotal funding for the initiative to $4.5M since it began in 2022, supporting a total of 20 grants across the United States at libraries, museums and universities.
Scholarly interest in telling the full story of American art is stronger than ever, but organizations that hold key historical records connected to Black art often lack the funding needed to process collections and make them available to the public. Getty's grants are transforming the discoverability and visibility of artist papers, exhibition records, educational materials, photographic documentation and more by helping institutions process and digitize tens of thousands of archival documents. Support is also making it possible for them to activate the archives through community events, exhibitions and other creative projects.
"These grants will help cultural institutions across the country uncover an abundance of untold stories of Black creativity and resilience," said Miguel de Baca, senior program officer at the Getty Foundation. "We can't wait to see how these projects will make such inspiring collections more available to researchers and community members."
Projects will kick off at eight institutions, including Afro Charities, Inc.; Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History; Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive; Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History; Morgan State University's Beulah M. Davis Special Collections Department; South Side Community Art Center; South Side Home Movie Project at the University of Chicago and the David C. Driskell Center at the University of Maryland.
A common thread across projects is a focus on Black female artists, including the Auburn Avenue Research Library, which is digitizing historic records, photography and other exhibition planning materials tied to leading Black women arts administrators and artists in Atlanta, like Stephanie Hughley, Kathleen Joy Ballard Peters and Mary Parks Washington. Celebrated abstract painter Alma Thomas is among the artists whose career and social life was chronicled in the AFRO, the oldest family-owned African American newspaper whose archives are being processed by Baltimore-based Afro Charities. The Driskell Center is activating the archives of Where We At Black Women Artists, Inc., a collective that promoted the development of feminist artists like Faith Ringgold, Dindga McCannon and Kay Brown.
"Arriving as The Driskell Center marks its 25th anniversary, Getty's grant secures the records that make Black art histories possible, ensuring they are preserved and widely accessible," said Jordana Moore Saggese, director of The Driskell Center. "Through the processing and digitization of these vital collections, alongside a new digital platform for public access, the project extends David C. Driskell's lifelong commitment to expanding who and what counts in American art."
The initiative supports archives connected to a wide range of art forms. The University of Chicago's South Side Home Movie Project will use funding to identify, digitize and make publicly accessible rare moving image documentation of mid-20th-century Black visual arts and arts institutions. Public programming and a digital resource guide will activate unprocessed footage that documents the vibrant cultural life of Chicago's South Side. The Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA), home of the nation's largest institutional collection of quilts made by Black artists, will use their grant to digitize materials and create a finding aid for archival materials about quilts from the collection of Eli Leon, including slides and photographic documentation, artist files and field recordings.
"The significance of the African American Quilt Collection at BAMPFA does not truly emerge without the family names, historical details and stories that reside in the archive," said Elaine Yau, associate curator and academic liaison at BAMPFA. "Getty's support of this work is especially meaningful at a university art museum, where there is exciting potential for students, researchers and quiltmaker descendants to collaborate and further amplify stories of creative ingenuity and love that are embodied in quilts."
Getty formed the initiative in consultation with professional organizations and specialists in Black archives, including independent scholar and archivist Dominique Luster. Black Visual Arts Archives is one of several efforts by Getty to broaden awareness of and preserve Black cultural heritage, including Conserving Black Modernism, African American Historic Places Los Angeles and its joint acquisition of the Johnson Publishing Company archive and the archive of architect Paul R. Williams.
2026 grantees for Black Visual Arts Archives:
Afro Charities, Inc.
Baltimore, MD
Grant amount: $235,000
The oldest operating Black-owned business in Maryland, AFRO American Newspapers stands as a record of Black artistic life, chronicling the careers and social worlds of artists like Alma Thomas and Augusta Savage and the newspaper's employment of leading visual and literary figures like Romare Bearden and Langston Hughes during an era of segregation. Getty funding will help Afro Charities process production files, research notes and business records spanning AFRO News' regional editions in Baltimore, Washington D.C., Richmond, Philadelphia and Newark from roughly 1900-2011. Working with an art historian, the project archivist will identify artists from their soon-to-be processed archives to plan two public seminars.
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Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History
Atlanta, GA
Grant amount: $220,000
The Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History is the first library in the Southeast to offer specialized reference and archival collections focused on African American heritage and the African diaspora. The library will use Getty funding to reprocess and digitize two major archives central to Atlanta's Black Arts Movement--the Neighborhood Arts Center and Phoenix Arts and Theatre Company records. They will digitize materials about leading Black women arts administrators and artists in Atlanta, like Stephanie Hughley, Kathleen Joy Ballard Peters and Mary Parks Washington, which will inform digital and physical exhibitions and content for the Digital Library of Georgia web platform. They are also planning traveling exhibitions for schools and community centers, programs, digital research guides and a conference on Black visual arts.
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Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive
Berkeley, CA
Grant amount: $250,000
Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA) is home to the nation's largest institutional collection of quilts made by Black artists, made possible by a single bequest of Bay Area collector Eli Leon, a largely self-taught scholar who emerged as a leading authority on African American quilt making in California. BAMPFA will process an archive of Eli Leon papers, which include notes on quilts, slides and photographic documentation, artist files and field recordings. These materials centered on Black artists and makers who moved West in the mid-20th century offer rare insight into the traditions and social practices through which quilts were made, preserved and passed down. Digitized materials, a finding aid and an exhibition will engage the public with the history of West Coast African American quilting traditions, which remains largely absent from major archival collections.
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Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History
Detroit, MI
Grant amount: $240,000
Located in Midtown Detroit, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History is one of the world's largest and oldest independent African American museums. Amid Detroit's 1967 uprising, art flourished in Black communities--a history that is not well known or studied, despite local artists having achieved national and international prominence. The Wright is processing and conducting research to strengthen documentation around eight unprocessed collections related to Detroit luminaries like Catherine Blackwell, Allie McGhee, Gilda Snowden and Shirley Woodson. The team will produce downloadable finding aids, a project website and periodic archiving workshops and programs to bring the newly processed collections to the public.
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Morgan State University's Beulah M. Davis Special Collections Department
Baltimore, MD
Grant amount: $235,000
Morgan State University's Beulah M. Davis Special Collections Department is using Getty funding to process, digitize and produce finding aids for archival collections related to the founders of its Department of Fine and Performing Arts. Records relate to visual artist and founding chair James E. Lewis and the university's first and second African American presidents, Dwight O. W Holmes and Martin D. Jenkins. The team is integrating oral histories to offer a fuller narrative of the department's contributions to visual arts education. The project also includes a digital exhibition and LibGuide (a web-based, curated research guide) on the history of visual arts on campus and a searchable collective access database that will be integrated into the library's Special Collections website, enabling researchers and the public to explore newly digitized materials.
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South Side Community Art Center
Chicago, IL
Grant amount: $250,000
South Side Community Art Center (SSCAC) was founded as part of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and is the nation's only WPA art center operating in its original location and observing its original mission as a community-based center for Black artists. A team of archivists is processing records tied to the Chicago Black Renaissance, in particular the papers of Dr. Margaret Taylor Goss Burroughs, a Black artist, educator and co-founder of SSCAC and the Ebony Museum of Chicago (now the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center). The project will also process smaller collections, including Chicago artists William McBride and Douglas Williams, exhibition records and materials on artists who helped establish Chicago as a hub for Black muralists. To support community access to materials, SSCAC will develop archive policies for digital and on-site access and organize public programs focused on the activation of archival collections.
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University of Chicago (South Side Home Movie Project)
Chicago, IL
Grant amount: $170,000
The University of Chicago's South Side Home Movie Project collects, preserves and digitizes home movies created by Chicago's South Side residents. Getty is funding a two-year project to identify, digitize and make publicly accessible rare moving image documentation of mid-20th-century Black visual arts. Collections include documentation of the collective mural "Wall of Respect," an important gathering space during the Black Arts Movement; footage of the artist communities connected by relationships with the Lake Meadows Art Fair, the South Side Community Art Center and the DuSable Black History Museum; and films of events hosted by the Photographers Guild of Chicago. Artists, curators, collectors and historians who were active in Chicago's arts community during this period will be invited to share insights on collection footage. A finding aid, enhanced catalog records, public programming and a digital resource guide will activate hundreds of pieces of unprocessed footage documenting the vibrant cultural memory of Chicago's South Side.
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University of Maryland
College Park, MD
Grant amount: $225,000
The Driskell Center is a leading hub for archives and scholarship on Black visual art, having acquired nine new archival collections and more than doubled its footprint since 2023. With Getty support, they are processing, digitizing and creating finding aids for five collections: records related to West Coast painter Dewey Crumpler; curator Robert L. Hall, whose career spanned Fisk University and the Anacostia Community Museum; Philadelphia collector Lewis Tanner Moore; the archives of Where We At Black Women Artists, Inc., a collective that nurtured feminist artists like Faith Ringgold, Dindga McCannon and Kay Brown; and McCannon's personal papers. In alignment with the university's commitment to open access, materials will be available online through integrated, web-based discovery tools, including full operability with its library systems. The team is also planning a pop-up exhibition and public programs to engage communities and increase awareness of its collections.
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Original text here: https://www.getty.edu/news/getty-award-to-increase-access-to-black-visual-arts-archives/
Texas Public Policy Foundation Welcomes Sam Westrop as Senior Fellow
AUSTIN, Texas, May 13 -- The Texas Public Policy Foundation issued the following news release:* * *
Texas Public Policy Foundation Welcomes Sam Westrop as Senior Fellow
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The Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) today announced the addition of Sam Westrop as a Senior Fellow, bringing one of the nation's foremost experts on Islamist extremism and radicalization to focus on the growing challenges facing the state.
Westrop's recent work has highlighted the need for rigorous, informed analysis of radical Islamist networks and their influence. Westrop's addition to TPPF ensures Texas policymakers, ... Show Full Article AUSTIN, Texas, May 13 -- The Texas Public Policy Foundation issued the following news release: * * * Texas Public Policy Foundation Welcomes Sam Westrop as Senior Fellow * The Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) today announced the addition of Sam Westrop as a Senior Fellow, bringing one of the nation's foremost experts on Islamist extremism and radicalization to focus on the growing challenges facing the state. Westrop's recent work has highlighted the need for rigorous, informed analysis of radical Islamist networks and their influence. Westrop's addition to TPPF ensures Texas policymakers,law enforcement, and community leaders have access to the best research and expertise available.
Westrop has led the Middle East Forum's Islamist Watch project since 2017 and previously founded Stand for Peace, a London-based counter-extremism organization that monitored Islamist movements throughout the United Kingdom, advising journalists, government ministers, and documentary-makers on extremism, radicalization, and terror. His work has appeared in publications including National Review, The Hill, and National Post, and he has been a featured voice on the BBC, Al Jazeera, and numerous other broadcast outlets.
"Sam's expertise is greatly needed at this time," said Andrew Brown, Vice President of Policy at TPPF. "As the threat of Islamist radicalization continues to grow in Texas, Sam's deep knowledge and on-the-ground experience will help ensure that our state's leaders have the tools they need to protect Texas from extremism while respecting religious liberty. We are proud to welcome him to TPPF."
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Original text here: https://www.texaspolicy.com/press/texas-public-policy-foundation-welcomes-sam-westrop-as-senior-fellow
Reason Foundation Issues Commentary: Urban Areas Can Expand Housing Supply Through Transit-Oriented Development
LOS ANGELES, California, May 13 -- The Reason Foundation issued the following commentary by Eliza Terziev, housing and land use policy analyst:* * *
Urban areas can expand housing supply through transit-oriented development
By focusing on housing, transit-oriented development can create avenues for strategic, voluntary, and politically feasible growth near transit.
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While home prices remain high across United States, urban areas have been especially strained by affordability challenges, making them a priority for tailored solutions. Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) is a planning strategy ... Show Full Article LOS ANGELES, California, May 13 -- The Reason Foundation issued the following commentary by Eliza Terziev, housing and land use policy analyst: * * * Urban areas can expand housing supply through transit-oriented development By focusing on housing, transit-oriented development can create avenues for strategic, voluntary, and politically feasible growth near transit. * While home prices remain high across United States, urban areas have been especially strained by affordability challenges, making them a priority for tailored solutions. Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) is a planning strategythat integrates mass transportation access with the surrounding environment, defined as within a one-quarter to one-half mile radius of stops.
Historically, TOD has been framed as a complete solution to the urban design problems caused by single-use zoning. Proponents argue TOD enhances walkability and transit ridership, reduces emissions and car dependence, and helps sustainably fund transit expansion. However, the utopian expectations placed on TOD have yet to be realized at scale in the United States.
Alternatively, implementing TOD through a housing-policy perspective can help address housing shortages where transit exists but land-use rules limit supply expansion. Instead of applying a one-size-fits-all model, TOD should be tailored to local preferences and align with existing infrastructure. By focusing on housing, TOD can create avenues for strategic, voluntary, and politically feasible growth near transit.
TOD attempts and lessons
Transit has shaped American cities since the streetcar was widely in use in the early 1900s. However, TOD only gained traction as a planning concept towards the end of the 20th century. Planners wrestled with rising car dependence and the limited success of transit ridership programs, looking for a holistic land use solution. In this context, TOD emerged as a framework for combining urban form and sustainability.
Peter Calthorpe formally articulated the concept beginning in the late 1980s, and most notably in his 1993 book "The Next American Metropolis." He describes compact urban centers huddling around transit stops with mixed-use development and a variety of housing types. These centers would be linked by transit corridors that enable efficient travel, reducing reliance on cars.
Calthorpe and other urban planners of the era were eager to implement TOD and witness the changes they envisioned. These early efforts revealed key limitations that now inform a more comprehensive understanding of where TOD is best utilized.
The limitations of TOD as utopian: Laguna West, California
Laguna West is a development in California just outside of Sacramento intended to exemplify Calthorpe's vision of TOD. This project ultimately fell short of its goals due to lack of developer interest and incomplete transit access. While Calthorpe's later contributions to TOD projects were more successful, Laguna West remains notable for how clearly it illuminated the challenges of applying a broad TOD vision in practice.
In the early 1990s, Laguna West was developed with the vision that neighborhood design alone could reshape transportation behavior and encourage walking and transit use over driving. With a denser core, mixed-use areas, and a connected street network oriented around a central corridor, planners sought to avoid the common pitfalls of traditional U.S. single-use zoning. In practice, however, many conventional suburban features remained.
Brian Quinn explores these challenges in a piece titled "Transit-Oriented Development: Lessons from California." Quinn concludes that successful integration of TOD is highly dependent on existing infrastructure, culture, and commercial behavior.
The decision to ride public transportation depends on many factors, including the availability of parking, the complexity of a trip, and the quality of the transit option. Transit is only worth considering when it is safe, frequent, and reliable. Additionally, when free and abundant parking is available at the destination, as is often the case due to parking minimums, public transportation is less appealing. Standard trips have also become more complicated and often include multiple stops. Especially across large suburban areas, "the journey web to serve a decent proportion of users would be extremely complex and routes would be too 'thin' to create sufficient ridership to make the system economic." That said, newer options like microtransit and personal mobility devices may expand connection to transit networks.
In most U.S. suburbs, commuting patterns have been shaped by infrastructure built primarily for automobiles. In Laguna West, the initial developers went bankrupt, and construction only resumed when new developers added lower-density single-family units, suggesting that potential future transportation access was not enough to offset demand for larger housing. The planning model proved incompatible with consumer preferences, as those choosing suburban environments often value space and flexibility over transit access. As a result, shifting these areas toward widespread transit use may be infeasible, and a more targeted TOD approach should focus on places already suited to urban living.
Commercial interest is equally important to successful TOD, yet Laguna West struggled to attract stores. As Quinn notes, TOD theory "fails to understand how this suburban model shapes and defines the behavior of consumers and businesses in making typical choices about where to locate and where to fulfill their needs." In low-density areas, TOD departs from the expected single-use development pattern, which businesses may view as risky, reinforcing a cycle of clustering in already successful locations. In the United States, single-use zoning has long shaped shopping patterns, and businesses remain highly responsive to established consumer behaviors. As a result, a TOD plan alone is unlikely to single-handedly transform this activity, and its role should be understood within these constraints.
Laguna West did not cultivate substantial mixed-use areas or dense housing development and was not ultimately connected to the Sacramento light rail. Like much of the United States, Laguna West today is primarily single-family homes and wide car-friendly streets. Figure 1 shows the zoning districts where green is residential, orange is commercial, and purple is mixed-use. Quinn concludes that TOD alone "has very limited scope to change behaviors away from universal car use in the face of significant countervailing social and economic forces." This sentiment appears to hold, at least so far.
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Figure 1: Laguna West zoning districts
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TOD today zoomed out
Laguna West's incompatibility with TOD is not unique. Infrastructure across most of the United States continues to be mismatched with the complete vision. Instead of large-scale experiments, today's TOD implementation is mostly large federal and state grants supporting comprehensive planning and connectivity studies. As of 2026, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has allocated over 68 million dollars total in competitive grants annually for areas taking on these projects.
Despite this public investment, few places in the U.S. have achieved the level of walkability outlined by Calthorpe. Car dependency remained constant through the 2000s and 2010s, with around 75 percent of workers driving alone to work. It is only with the widespread shift to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic, not through transformative urban policy, that this rate has recently fallen to 69.2 percent (see Figure 2).
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Figure 2: Percent of Workers Over 16 Driving Alone to Work
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TOD has not altered macro commuting patterns, but it has transformed some communities. Housing and transportation preferences are inherently local, and when applied in settings receptive to its underlying principles, TOD has demonstrated benefits.
TOD in action: Arlington, Virginia
One exemplary case of TOD can be found in Arlington County, Virginia, especially in the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor (R-B Corridor). While it is far from perfect, this area has integrated housing and transportation in a way that works for residents.
Arlington owes much of its growth to its connection to the Washington D.C. Metrorail, starting in the late 1970s. Rosslyn station opened in 1977, and the remaining four stations, Courthouse, Clarendon, Virginia Square, and Ballston, opened in 1979. Figure 3 depicts the corridor and the zoning around each stop.
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Figure 3: Rosslyn-Ballston Corridor zoning districts with a one-quarter-mile radius of stops highlighted
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Prior to the expansion of the metro, both Arlington's population and economic activity were stagnating, with the R-B Corridor gaining the reputation of a "declining low-density commercial corridor." When the metro was added, planners made intentional TOD-aligned zoning changes, allowing higher density and mixed-use development within a one-quarter-mile radius of stations. By building flexibility into land-use codes, the area could grow as needed. Today, the Ballston census tract is the densest in the entire Washington, D.C. area.
In 2020, Arlington ranked 10th nationwide among counties with the highest public transportation usage. Since the pandemic, rates have declined, though they are recovering (see Figure 4). Arlington's high, generally consistent transit use signals successful TOD.
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Figure 4: Commuting to work in Arlington, VA 2010-2024
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Further, TOD is involved in the area's commercial success. As of 2025, Arlington is home to 213,900 jobs, with 87,400 of those in the R-B Corridor alone. That represents an increase of over 50 percent since 1980, suggesting that transit connectivity has helped drive economic activity. Population has increased nearly 60 percent in the same time period, and this growth has been concentrated among the transit corridors.
By metrics like population growth, economic expansion, and transit usage, Arlington's TOD approach is among the most successful in the United States. The existing commercial base made the shift to mixed-use development more seamless, while the Washington Metro's comprehensive network and short headways (time between trains) boosted ridership. Further, allowing density and residential development near stops enabled population growth, making Arlington an attractive place to live and work.
Even more promising is that Arlington County is not alone in this transformation. Neighboring Fairfax County has undergone a similar shift after a task force incorporated TOD principles there. If the success of TOD is measured by its ability to stimulate economic activity and revitalize an area's population, northern Virginia is a success story. That said, Arlington has not been spared from the nationwide surge in home prices.
Remaining challenges in Arlington
Arlington County today is a very expensive place to live. In February 2026, the median home price reached $811,245. This figure results from several compounding factors.
First, Washington, D.C. has notoriously stringent building laws limiting development, most notably a strict height limit, pushing demand for urban space into Arlington. With only 26 square miles of space, this additional demand makes land scarce and expensive.
Land price appreciation is further driven by metro access itself. Evidence shows price increases following the system's opening, consistent with research linking higher land and home prices to proximity to transit. Access to transit is a valuable amenity, underscoring the need for laws allowing this land to be used to its highest potential. The land premium is expected, but it explains only part of why housing in Arlington is so expensive.
Arlington's TOD elements are helpful, but there are still several regulatory barriers to construction. Estimates from the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) find that through reforms like strategic lot split flexibilities and residential overlay by-right in more non-residential areas, Arlington County could add over 1,900 units annually. Further, stringent stormwater regulations and expensive permitting fees create supply restrictions that, when combined with the demand for this area, contribute to high prices. While these rules are not inherently unnecessary or harmful, they contribute to the cost of development in Arlington. The added value created by transit access highlights the importance of allowing markets to function freely and effectively in these desirable areas.
Takeaways from Arlington
TOD in Arlington contrasts with Laguna West by complementing and enhancing the existing urban form rather than trying to singularly transform it. Still, TOD has not fully insulated Arlington from nationwide housing price pressure. Arlington demonstrates both the potential of TOD for urban transformation and the reality that it cannot solve all housing challenges on its own.
Arlington as a case study illustrates what an incremental approach to TOD can look like in other places and the urban contexts where this approach works best. Well-executed TOD enables markets to determine how best to grow around transit, responding to the value created by improved access. From a housing perspective, urban policy focusing on this idea can expand residential development in underutilized areas near existing transit.
TOD from a housing perspective
In response to persistently high home prices nationwide, policymakers are looking to open pathways for housing supply expansion. Evidence shows that doing so is associated with a decrease in prices throughout the market. TOD is one of these avenues. Concentrating density near transit creates clusters that work in context rather than scattering development across the city. Higher density also makes commercial spaces more viable, supporting businesses in ways smaller, less connected developments rarely do. Because these projects are well-located, they attract broader political support. TOD presents an opportunity to expand housing supply while fusing housing and transportation needs for residents.
One critique of TOD is that some evidence suggests it does not substantially increase transit ridership, and development near transit is instead inhabited by those already using it, instead of drawing in new riders. A 1993 study surveying residents of a development near California rail found that the majority of current rail users already commuted to work via bus or rail at their previous residence. If the objective is simply to boost ridership through new users, that statistic might seem disappointing. However, if the aim is to better align housing choices with transportation preferences, then it's a success.
By incorporating density increases and provisions for mixed-use development, policymakers can create opportunities for new housing where it is desired without overhauling the character and habits of a community. Housing-focused TOD should include the following characteristics to maximize possible opportunities.
1. Increase density within one-half mile of transit stops.
Developing housing near rail lines, rapid transit, express bus routes, and other heavily utilized transit options can increase supply while avoiding the political challenges that accompany typical upzoning efforts. Often, blanket reforms like eliminating single-family exclusive zoning can be met with resistance from community members for a variety of reasons, from environmental concerns to the desire to preserve property value. Proposing this targeted alternative can make these zoning changes more politically feasible and create opportunities for housing supply expansion.
The specifics of reform will depend on existing local rules and infrastructure. However, policymakers at all levels of government should look for opportunities to loosen density restrictions near transit to expand housing supply.
2. Couple density increases with minimum parking reductions.
Parking minimums have been shown to contribute greatly to the cost of housing. Spaces can cost tens of thousands of dollars to build, particularly in structured or underground parking lots. For low-income families, who own fewer cars on average, requiring one parking space for an apartment can raise rents by 6 percent of their budget.
Reducing parking requirements for new housing has long been a priority for affordable housing advocates, and this policy is most practical near transit. Residents who select these areas should have the option to match their transportation choices to their housing type without a needless parking premium. Eliminating or reducing parking requirements in these areas does not mean parking will disappear. It means developers can choose how much parking to provide, enabling new housing without unnecessary costs.
3. Allow mixed-use development by right.
While in the case of Laguna West, zoning changes did not automatically manifest in commercial interest, communities should seek to maintain their options. As cities move toward more-integrated land use policies, they should permit mixed-use development where feasible. It may not be desired in every context, but having the choice would keep communities flexible, moving them away from the legacy of single-use zones behind many of the urban challenges Calthorpe was responding to.
4. Have clear goals.
Moving forward, TOD efforts should focus on measurable outcomes. When grants are awarded for projects, deliverables like comprehensive plans are completed, but the tangible impacts, like changes in transit ridership, stimulated commercial activity, or new housing construction, are rarely reported.
Establishing goals and monitoring outcomes, especially when grants are involved, makes it possible to identify the successes and challenges of policy efforts. For example, if the goal is to expand housing supply and improve affordability, TOD should be paired with complementary zoning code reforms and land use liberalization. An outcome-driven vision for how transit works with development can help avoid the pitfalls of past efforts.
Examples of recent statewide TOD policy
Policies encouraging TOD have been enacted in several states to address housing challenges. While each state approaches TOD differently, all create pathways to housing growth that respond to local needs and complement the existing laws. Here are examples of promising statewide TOD policy efforts:
California Assembly Bill 2097 (2022) and Senate Bill 79 (2025)
In 2022, California passed AB 2097, which preempts the ability of local government to set minimum parking requirements on any development within one-half mile of public transit.
The California Legislature passed SB 79 in 2025 to complement and further the objectives of AB 2097. This bill classifies transit stops into tiers based on service intensity and establishes minimum density requirements that vary by distance from the stop. SB 79 will go into effect on July 1, 2026.
Together, SB 79 and AB 2097 create a cohesive development environment oriented towards housing development.
Massachusetts House Bill 4977 (2024)
Massachusetts' HB 4977 has a subtle TOD component. The primary initiative in this bill is allowing accessory dwelling units (ADUs) by right on all single-family parcels across the state. The TOD element is that HB 4977 prohibits municipalities from requiring additional parking spaces for ADUs within one-half mile of transit stops, including commuter rail stations, subway stations, ferry terminals, and bus stations. In 2025 alone, Massachusetts approved over 1,200 ADUs.
While HB 4977 does not use TOD principles directly, it illustrates that interventions do not need to be sweeping to be valuable. Even modest deregulation can create opportunities for new housing.
Utah Senate Bill 217 (2021)
SB 217 in Utah establishes Housing and Transit Reinvestment Zones (HTRZ) across the state within one-third mile of commuter rail stations. Through a value capture technique, a portion of the additional tax revenue generated by new development is retained and reinvested locally to fund infrastructure, affordable housing, and other projects. The law is intended to encourage development near transit, increase ridership, and address housing growth challenges along transit corridors.
As of July 2024, seven approved municipalities are utilizing HTRZs, adding a projected 42,436 housing units. Utah's approach offers an alternative model, establishing an optional system rather than preempting municipal zoning authority.
Washington House Bill 1110 (2023)
HB 1110 is a missing middle housing bill with transit proximity bonuses. This bill creates incremental zoning density increases for cities depending on population, with additional allowances near major transit stops. For example, in cities with a population greater than 75,000, up to four units are allowed on all residential lots. Within one-quarter mile of a major transit stop, six units are allowed.
HB 1110 liberalizes land use near transit through greater density while accounting for differences across cities of varying sizes. It exemplifies the use of TOD principles as a tool for policy that makes room for incremental housing supply expansion.
Recent legislation in context
Each of these policies displays a version of TOD that can be adapted to local political and planning contexts, even when provisions are marginal. While it is still too early to measure the full impact of the most recent legislation, early evidence from Utah suggests these provisions can facilitate new housing development.
Takeaways
Transit-oriented development was once framed as a complete solution to urban challenges, but U.S. infrastructure and consequent expectations have made full implementation difficult in many areas. Physical determinism alone, without economic or cultural backing, is not enough to reinvent transportation usage.
Rather than attempting to create urban design utopias in incompatible areas, TOD functions best as an incremental and politically feasible tool to increase density, remove unnecessary development barriers, and align housing with transportation needs in urban areas with existing transit. Several states have made policy changes encouraging development near transit without major zoning overhauls. Both projects and policy should remain grounded in the realities of existing neighborhoods, reflecting preferences while accommodating residents who rely on public transit. When framed as a housing supply expansion strategy rather than a transportation experiment, TOD is a practical tool for creating housing opportunities in places where demand is already strong.
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Eliza Terziev is a housing and land use policy analyst at Reason Foundation.
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Original text here: https://reason.org/commentary/urban-areas-can-expand-housing-supply-through-transit-oriented-development/
OMRF breaks ground on center for patient care, clinical studies
OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, May 13 -- The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation posted the following news:* * *
OMRF breaks ground on center for patient care, clinical studies
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The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation broke ground Wednesday on a center aimed at transforming patient care and chronic-disease research.
The three-story building will house the TSET Institute for a Healthier Oklahoma and the David R. Brown, M.D., Advanced Human Imaging Center. It is funded by a $9.9 million Legacy Grant from the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) and a major-gift campaign led by a ... Show Full Article OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, May 13 -- The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation posted the following news: * * * OMRF breaks ground on center for patient care, clinical studies * The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation broke ground Wednesday on a center aimed at transforming patient care and chronic-disease research. The three-story building will house the TSET Institute for a Healthier Oklahoma and the David R. Brown, M.D., Advanced Human Imaging Center. It is funded by a $9.9 million Legacy Grant from the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) and a major-gift campaign led by a$3.5 million donation from The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation.
The new building will allow patients in OMRF's Multiple Sclerosis Center of Excellence to undergo imaging procedures in the state's first research-grade MRI. It will also add imaging and research capabilities that will enhance care and understanding of conditions such as arthritis and lupus.
"This building has lived in our dreams for a long time," OMRF President Andrew Weyrich, Ph.D., told the audience at the groundbreaking.
The Brown Center, which will house the MRI and other medical imaging technologies, will occupy the first floor of the building. Above it, the new TSET Institute will host lab and clinical studies focused on the three root causes of chronic disease: inflammation, impaired immunity and accelerated aging. A telehealth hub will provide remote specialty care and clinical trial opportunities for patients outside the metro area.
The 15,637-square-foot building is tentatively set to open in late 2027.
TSET is a state agency created by Oklahoma voters following the settlement of a multistate lawsuit against the tobacco industry. Its Legacy Grant to OMRF was one of 14 transformative projects totaling $150 million announced late last year to commemorate TSET's 25th anniversary.
"Our board believes that the TSET Institute for a Healthier Oklahoma at OMRF will push boundaries," said Lance Thomas, the agency's interim director. "It will create a wide and very measurable impact on improving health here and, eventually, around the world."
The new Brown Center means thousands of Oklahomans receiving care at OMRF will no longer need to travel elsewhere for an MRI.
"This building will enhance our ability to better care for our patients and will give us the resources to be more responsive and more creative in offering immediate answers and long-term solutions," said Gabriel Pardo, M.D., director of OMRF's Multiple Sclerosis of Excellence.
MS often causes mobility issues, and in severe cases, the autoimmune disease can cause paralysis or vision loss.
"It can be debilitating, as it once was for me, so I can't overstate the value of having a one-stop shop for patient care," said Kelsey D'Emilio, a patient in OMRF's MS Center who spoke at the ceremony.
The Brown Center is named for the late Dr. David R. Brown, an orthopedic surgeon. His son, Dr. Randy Brown, serves on the boards of both the Noble Foundation and OMRF.
"Being involved with OMRF was a point of pride for my father," Randy Brown told guests. "He would be thrilled to know that his efforts are still bearing fruit today alongside the work of everyone here."
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Original text here: https://omrf.org/omrf-breaks-ground-on-center-for-patient-care-clinical-studies/
Investor Concerns Mount As Big Tech's AI Power Race Threatens Credibility on Climate
OAKLAND, California, May 13 -- As You Sow Foundation posted the following news release:* * *
Investor Concerns Mount As Big Tech's AI Power Race Threatens Credibility on Climate
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Amazon, Meta, and Alphabet face shareholder concern for failing to draw a clear line against new fossil fuel-based power for their data centers.
EL CERRITO, CALIFORNIA-May 13, 2026 - Shareholders are asking the world's largest AI companies - Amazon, Meta, and Alphabet - how they are ensuring compatibility between skyrocketing electricity use at data centers and their climate commitments. The proposals, filed by ... Show Full Article OAKLAND, California, May 13 -- As You Sow Foundation posted the following news release: * * * Investor Concerns Mount As Big Tech's AI Power Race Threatens Credibility on Climate * Amazon, Meta, and Alphabet face shareholder concern for failing to draw a clear line against new fossil fuel-based power for their data centers. EL CERRITO, CALIFORNIA-May 13, 2026 - Shareholders are asking the world's largest AI companies - Amazon, Meta, and Alphabet - how they are ensuring compatibility between skyrocketing electricity use at data centers and their climate commitments. The proposals, filed byAs You Sow, the Presbyterian Church (USA), Mercy Investments, and Trillium Asset Management, will be voted on at each company's annual meeting this month, scheduled for May 20th, May 27th, and June 5th, respectively.
In a race to dominate the AI industry, tech companies are rapidly building energy-hungry data centers, creating competition to find large amounts of power from an already constrained grid. Utilities, inundated with interconnection requests from data centers, are planning new fossil-fired infrastructure buildouts. Rather than pushing back and working with utilities on clean energy sourcing, many tech companies are taking whatever power is available, even if it means increasing reliance on fossil-based power from the grid or building their own natural gas plants.
The climate impacts of this power race are already clear: all three companies have reported rising greenhouse gas emissions linked to electricity use. Meta's emissions from electricity use, for example, increased nearly 150% between 2019 and 2024. Meeting growing energy demand by locking in new fossil-based power resources builds climate impact into the system for decades to come. Climate emissions goals are designed to avoid this type of backsliding.
Powering data centers with fossil-based electricity is also driving community opposition and regulatory pushback. Many communities are rejecting new data centers due to the environmental and social impacts of building new power plants. In response, policymakers are imposing stricter oversight, including proposed moratoriums on new data centers.
"Community support is now a gating factor for data center growth," said Katie Carter from Presbyterian Life & Witness, an agency of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A). "Companies that align new data centers with local clean energy development and tangible community benefits will secure faster approvals and more durable operations. Accelerating the clean energy transition isn't just good policy-it's essential to maintaining a social license to operate."
"The narrative that energy demand from AI can only be met with new fossil fuels is increasingly outdated," said Chris Richardson, Shareholder Advocacy Manager at Mercy Investments. "Proven pathways exist to align data center expansion with clean energy procurement and grid decarbonization." Investors have pointed to emerging leadership models, including Alphabet's plan to fund new, local renewable energy to fully power its data center in Minnesota.
Shareholder proposals note that a focus on near-term, clean energy development will also address growing investor concerns about energy security, long-term cost control, and potential procurement delays associated with building new gas plants and nuclear energy.
"In the AI race, tech giants risk undermining their climate commitments at precisely the moment disciplined long-term decision-making matters most," said Andrea Ranger, Director of Shareholder Advocacy at Trillium Asset Management. "Shareholders are asking for a credible strategy that preserves both climate goals and leadership in the AI economy."
These proposals build on momentum created by proposals filed in 2025 which marked the first instances of investor pushback on climate risks associated with the AI boom and the expansion of data center infrastructure. A 2025 proposal filed at Amazon by Majority Action on behalf of the Amazon Employees for Climate Justice received a 20% vote, marking significant investor support for a first-year proposal.
About As You Sow
As You Sow is the nation's leading shareholder representative, with a 30-year track record promoting environmental and social corporate responsibility. Its focus areas include climate change, ocean plastics, toxins in the food system, the Rights of Nature, racial justice, and workplace diversity. Click here to view As You Sow's shareholder resolution tracker.
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Original text here: https://www.asyousow.org/press-releases/2026/5/13/investor-concernsnbspmount-as-big-techsnbspai-power-racenbspthreatens-credibility-on-climatenbsp
Freedom From Religion Foundation: Monumental Problem - Trump Arch Would Carve Religion Into Public Space
MADISON, Wisconsin, May 13 -- The Freedom From Religion Foundation issued the following news release:* * *
Monumental problem: Trump arch would carve religion into public space
The Freedom From Religion Foundation strongly objects to the religious messaging and symbolism on President Trump's proposed 250-foot triumphal arch in Washington, D.C.
While there is widespread opposition to the arch, which Trump has quadrupled in size since first proposing, the religious component to the proposal has not received attention.
Renderings of the proposed structure depict the phrase "ONE NATION UNDER ... Show Full Article MADISON, Wisconsin, May 13 -- The Freedom From Religion Foundation issued the following news release: * * * Monumental problem: Trump arch would carve religion into public space The Freedom From Religion Foundation strongly objects to the religious messaging and symbolism on President Trump's proposed 250-foot triumphal arch in Washington, D.C. While there is widespread opposition to the arch, which Trump has quadrupled in size since first proposing, the religious component to the proposal has not received attention. Renderings of the proposed structure depict the phrase "ONE NATION UNDERGOD" engraved prominently across the facade of the massive arch, which Trump has demanded as part of the nation's 250th anniversary celebrations. His design also features patriotic and quasi-religious imagery, including gold eagles, lions and a winged angel figure modeled after Lady Liberty.
"Combining explicit religious language with national symbolism sends a dangerous message that belief in God is tied to patriotism and American identity," says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. "That excludes millions of nonreligious Americans and violates the foundational principle that government must remain neutral on matters of religion."
The arch -- a gaudy, gold-plated imitation of Paris' Arc de Triomphe -- is just another Trump vanity project. Asked last year who the monument was intended to honor, Trump reportedly gave a one-word answer: "Me."
Nearly 1,000 written comments submitted to the federal Commission of Fine Arts opposed the arch. Not a single comment supported it. Polling likewise shows that Americans oppose the proposal by a margin of 51 percent to 21 percent. Nevertheless, the commission -- now stacked with Trump appointees -- granted preliminary approval minus the gilded statues on top, even as lawsuits move forward seeking to block the monument.
FFRF notes that while the project is framed as patriotic, the inclusion of "One Nation Under God" transforms it into an explicitly religious statement. The phrase itself was not part of the original Pledge of Allegiance. It was only added at the behest of religious lobbies in 1954 during the Cold War. FFRF has long challenged the religious tampering with the Pledge, noting that it is unconstitutional, exclusionary and obviously inaccurate, since many Americans do not believe in a god.
FFRF is also criticizing the monument's angelic imagery. The proposed design reimagines Lady Liberty, who traditionally represents secular ideals of freedom and democracy, in overtly religious terms by depicting her as a winged heavenly figure.
The proposal has already sparked criticism from architects, historians and veterans groups, who argue that the giant arch would overwhelm the nearby Arlington National Cemetery and disrupt the historic character of the National Mall. Legal challenges are also underway over whether the project can proceed without explicit congressional authorization.
Questions also remain over funding. Although Trump has suggested private donors could finance the project, reports indicate that the National Endowment for the Humanities has reserved $15 million for the effort, raising concerns about taxpayer involvement in what amounts to a religiously infused vanity monument.
FFRF emphasizes that public monuments should unite Americans around shared constitutional principles -- not promote theological beliefs.
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The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to defending the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters relating to nontheism. With more than 41,000 members, FFRF is the largest association of freethinkers (atheists, agnostics and humanists) in North America. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
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Original text here: https://ffrf.org/news/releases/monumental-problem-trump-arch-would-carve-religion-into-public-space/
[Category: Religion]
FFRF Targets Unconstitutional Prayers by Arkansas Archery Coach
MADISON, Wisconsin, May 13 -- The Freedom From Religion Foundation issued the following news release:* * *
FFRF targets unconstitutional prayers by Arkansas archery coach
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is urging the Valley View Public Schools system to immediately put a stop to a district archery coach's practice of leading team members in prayers.
A concerned district parent informed the state/church watchdog that the archery coach at Valley View Intermediate School has a pattern and practice of leading students in Christian prayer before tournaments and official archery events, such ... Show Full Article MADISON, Wisconsin, May 13 -- The Freedom From Religion Foundation issued the following news release: * * * FFRF targets unconstitutional prayers by Arkansas archery coach The Freedom From Religion Foundation is urging the Valley View Public Schools system to immediately put a stop to a district archery coach's practice of leading team members in prayers. A concerned district parent informed the state/church watchdog that the archery coach at Valley View Intermediate School has a pattern and practice of leading students in Christian prayer before tournaments and official archery events, suchas a recent awards ceremony. Audio provided to FFRF from this ceremony confirmed that the coach and what appeared to be a coach-selected student led the entire audience, including other students, in an explicitly Christian prayer.
The parent who reported this unconstitutional practice explained that they are not religious and that they are "more than disappointed" that their child has been "exposed to such blatant proselytizing."
FFRF has written to the district to stand up for students' and parents' rights of conscience.
"Here, the archery coach is undeniably pushing her personal religious beliefs onto students by coercing the entire archery team to participate in prayers as part of official school-sponsored activities," FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence writes. "The coach is blatantly crossing the constitutional line and violating student-athletes' First Amendment rights."
Student-athletes are especially susceptible to coercion, and the relationship between student-athletes and their coaches is inherently ripe for coercion. Students know that their coaches control their positions on the team, including who plays in each game. When coaches lead students in prayer or direct students to lead their teammates in prayer, students will no doubt feel that participating in the prayer is essential to avoiding punishment, pleasing their coach, and being viewed as a team player. They are unlikely to speak up against their coach pushing religion on them, even if they do not feel comfortable. It is unrealistic as well as unconstitutional to make students choose between allowing their school coach to violate their constitutional rights or openly dissenting -- with the risk of punishment and further retaliation.
School-sponsored prayer also needlessly marginalizes students, such as our complainant's child, who are nonreligious, or those who are members of minority faiths. Statistically, nearly half of Americans born after 1996 are nonreligious.
FFRF asserts that to protect students' First Amendment rights, Valley View Public Schools must immediately investigate and ensure that the Valley View Intermediate School archery coach ceases leading students in prayer and assigning students to lead other students in prayer.
"FFRF has long believed that students should never feel they have to pray to play," FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor says. "District sports coaches are well aware of the position and influence they hold. Students' rights must be protected from coercive religious practices, especially when they feel participation influences their standing on the team."
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The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with over 41,000 members and several chapters across the country, including hundreds of members and a chapter in Arkansas. Its purposes are to protect the constitutional principle of separation between state and church, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism.
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Original text here: https://ffrf.org/news/releases/ffrf-targets-unconstitutional-prayers-by-arkansas-archery-coach/
[Category: Religion]