While other NYC development is stalled out, colleges and universities are "on a building spree", writes Mitchell Moss, and they are revitalizing old buildings and infrastructure.
"What's essential to recognize is that as New York's economy and population have evolved, colleges and universities have moved out of the shadows and are playing a more powerful and forceful role in land development," writes Moss for The Architect's Newspaper.
Moss looks at expansion plans from Columbia, NYU, CUNY, and several smaller schools like John Jay College and Medgar Evers College. Because these colleges are urban, they necessarily find themselves pushing against planning and zoning requirements and the needs of their surrounding neighborhoods. Many are finding intense resistance, despite the clear economic benefits higher education brings to the city. Part of the problem, writes Moss, is that "leaders of the city's colleges and universities are anything but shy when it comes to expanding their campuses."
FULL STORY: Feature> Class Struggle

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie