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The Planetizen News Brief - 8/13/09

13 August 2009 - 3:00am
Smart City Radio

The Planetizen News Brief is a weekly rundown of some of the most interesting and important news and issues of the past week.

The Planetizen News Brief airs every week on the nationally-syndicated radio program "Smart City", which is broadcast in cities across the U.S. Learn more about Smart City and listen to archived shows.

Full Transcript

A long-developing plan to change the city of Miami’s zoning policies to a form-based code has been voted down by city commissioners. The decision came up one vote shy of approval, which shocked many in the audience who had expected a favorable reaction to the first reading of the proposed zoning overhaul. According to a recent article from the Miami Herald, the form-based code, known as Miami 21, was seen as the signature reform of the administration of Mayor Manny Diaz, who will be termed out of office later this year. Two candidates seeking to take his seat are also city commissioners, and they shocked many in the city when they joined forces to vote against Miami 21. The zoning overhaul would have made Miami the biggest city to adopt a form-based in the U.S. The plan may not be dead however, but no one is sure when the idea could come up for a vote again.

Meanwhile, in a recession-inspired change of heart, cities across the country are loosening restrictions and enforcement of tent cities occupied by homeless people. The Wall Street Journal reports on the shifting trend among a handful of American cities away from enforcement and dispersion. Cities like Nashville, Tennessee; Lacey, Washington; and Ventura, California are allowing non-profits and other groups to provide services to the homeless or temporarily displaced in these tent cities during the economic recession. Bans on sleeping in cars have been lifted and cities are starting to look around to find empty places where informal tent cities can locate. But some people in these cities are not exactly happy about the shift in policy. Neighbors living near the site of a proposed tent city in Tampa, Florida have been protesting and signing petitions to block the move. Though many cities still crack down on the homeless in the same ways they always have, the recession seems to have started a slow shift away from enforcement and toward rehabilitation.

And finally, a city long known as one of the worst American cities for cyclists is trying to update its reputation. Boston has been called a minefield for cyclists, with aggressive drivers and insufficient bicycle infrastructure. But now, with a bike-friendly mayor and a new citywide bike czar, officials are hoping to bring Boston back into the cycling world. A recent article from the New York Times looks at that effort, which includes the expansion of bike lanes, the construction of new bike racks and the development of bike sharing programs. The transition will be slow, with just 4 new miles of bike lanes installed since 2007. But 5 to 10 more are expected by the end of the year, and many hope that will just be the start.

Stories discussed in this week's Planetizen News Brief

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If hundreds of people in your community raised reasonable concerns about a planning program you developed, how would you respond? Perhaps you might call a community meeting, or ask community elected officials to reach out to community leaders.
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