Tom Stoelker summarizes the tenor of a flurry of bills introduced this week at a City Council hearing that seek to revamp the way business gets done at the Landmarks Preservation Commission.
Eleven bills in all were introduced that take aim at significantly changing the procedures of the Commission, which when taken together, "will effectively hollow out the Landmarks Law from the inside out," testified Preservationist Theodore Grunewald.
At the heart of the showdown is the adversarial relationship between developers and preservationists, specifically around the perceived economic benefits of preservation versus redevelopment, as they gird for a fight over Midtown upzoning and Park Avenue.
And it's one particular bill that has preservationists up in arms. "According to Intro Bill Number 846, new guidelines would require City Planning to review Landmark Commission designations in economic terms to 'analyze the impact of the designation' and 'specifically consider the relationship between the development potential of all properties affected by the designation, both public and private.' The bill would provide City Council a rationale by which to deny landmark designations by pitting long-term planning goals against individual or district landmarking," writes Stoelker.
FULL STORY: Battle Landmarkia
Gentrification Enters Preservation Debate Surrounding NYC's Strand Bookstore
The Renaissance Revival building that houses New York City's beloved Strand Bookstore is under consideration by the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission. The case has provoked debate between rival advocates.
The Robert Moses Nexus to Amazon's Cancellation of Queens HQ2
Last week, Amazon abruptly canceled its decision to invest about $2.5 billion and bring 25,000 high-paying jobs to Queens. A scholar blames their abrupt decision on an arcane state bureaucracy tasked with preventing Robert Moses-like takings.
Iconic Queens Clock Tower Anchors 915-Foot Skyscraper
In a complex saga involving the MTA, an 88-year-old tower, and a planned 77-story apartment behemoth, affordable housing may be first to fall by the wayside.
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