Move over "Neighborhood Integrity Initiative." The "Build Better LA" initiative will compete for the soul of the city in the November election.
"A coalition of labor unions and housing advocates unveiled a ballot proposal Wednesday that would force real estate developers in Los Angeles to provide affordable housing when seeking city approval for residential projects that are larger than planning rules allow," report David Zahniser and Emily Alpert Reyes for the Los Angeles Times.
The proposal has been submitted for consideration on the citywide ballot on November 8, 2016. The coalition of labor unions and affordable housing activists are pitching the ballot initiative as a win-win for affordable housing and the city's employment base. A press release announcing the initiative focuses especially on the initiative's local hire provision.
Zahniser and Alpert Reyes note that the "Build Better LA" agenda conflicts with the "Neighborhood Integrity Initiative" agenda—though developers and businesses aren't likely to favor either alternative. The article includes a quote from the Coalition to Preserve L.A., the group behind the "Neighborhood Integrity Initiative," describing "Build Better LA" as a "wolf in sheep's clothing." The article also quotes Carol Schatz, president and chief executive of the Central City Association, who voices concerns that "Build Better LA" might backfire, choosing the phase, "They’re cutting off their nose to spite their face," to describe her opinions about the new initiative.
FULL STORY: Ballot proposal would require L.A. developers to provide affordable housing
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Last week the Los Angeles City Council and Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors approved housing initiatives. "Build Better LA" requires large developments to have affordable units. Silicon Valley voters will vote on a $950 million housing bond.
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L.A. Planning Referendum, Measure S, Soundly Defeated
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The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers
Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses
Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.
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Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association