In 2026 the Planning Department released a draft of the document to replace our UDO (Unified Development ordinance adopted in 2006) which spells out zoning designations across the County and lays out the rules for the physical development of property. They have called it the Land Development Code. 

They have embarked upon this huge project in response to the adoption of the Comprehensive Plan which would guide updated zoning decisions. 

Progress toward engaging with the public leading to adoption has stalled because of some legal issues which need to be managed by the state legislature. The Planning Department website states it is "stalled indefinitely." But we know it will eventually come up again. 

Meanwhile, INC has a team of knowledgeable people reading through the draft of 633 pages released in February 2026 and marking it up with comments which are sent to the Planning Department. The work started in March 2026 and is ongoing. Our goal is to have two deliverables: a report on our findings and a presentation that can be delivered to all neighborhoods across the county, focusing primarily on the City, where infill is most active, and identifying aspects that are likely to change neighborhoods. 

Watch this space for more information.

City Council Elections - Oct/Nov 2025

The Mayor's seat and three other council members are up for re-election. These are the "Ward" seats where candidates compete within the ward they will represent.  However, the whole city votes to elect one per ward. 

INC had a long standing tradition to hold candidate forums in the past. We are reviving that tradition this year. To help reduce the burden of forums on the candidates with lots of organizations, we are looking to partner with several organizations in Durham to hold a Candidate forum before the Primary on October 7th. The lead organizations are INC, the Coalition for Affordable Housing and Transit (CAHT), and Bike Durham. Also collaborating are El Centro, Sonos Durham, and Aging Well Durham.

For more information, please see the details page. 

Simplifying Code for Affordable Development

In 2022, a local developer submitted a privately-initialized set of Text Amendments to be evaluated and adopted to the Durham Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) which regulates building standards. The stated intention of this initiative was to make it easier for developers/builders to create affordable housing.

INC created a committee to study this proposal. The committee produced a report about the content and the letter of introduction to Mayor O'Neal and City Council. 

Expanding Housing Choices

In 2019, the Durham City-County Planning Department initiated a set of text amendments intending to create more housing in the Urban Tier. The net impact was to make every property (approximately 30,000 lots) in this area to convert from single family to multi-family lots. With Text Amendments, it is not necessary to notify land owners of these changes. Many people in Durham never heard about this action until their next door neighbor sold their little and a builder was building multiple homes on the same lot.

For more information, visit the Planning Department documents.

The March 3rd election is a primary for a number of state and local races and the final (general) election for School Board.  This year, each of four districts will elect one School Board member.  A map of the districts is here. 

Early voting is February 12 through February 28; locations and times are in this flyer.  Information on other ways to vote are in this flyer. 

For more information and logistical support, please go to this page.