One unclear illustration almost reaped a $1 million reward for the Illitch family, owners of the Little Caesars Arena, the Detroit Tigers, and the Detroit Red Wings.

"The Detroit City Council approved an ordinance Tuesday to update the city's parking lot regulations following a Free Press investigation of lots owned by the Ilitch family near Little Caesars Arena," reports Joe Guillen.
"The ordinance amends the zoning code to remove any ambiguity that would allow the city's buildings department to issue permits for parking lots without interior landscaping," according to Guillen.
Guillen reported in January that favorable approvals made by the Detroit Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department since 2016 had the potential to produce a $1 million windfall for the Illitch organization. The organization was allowed "to build or renovate 18 parking lots throughout the Cass Corridor without including any landscaping inside the lots, which is required under the city’s zoning code." The Illitch family owns the Little Caesars Arena as well as the Detroit Red Wings and the Detroit Tigers.
The change to the zoning code updates an illustration that shows how landscaping should look in a parking lot.
FULL STORY: No more skirting rules for parking-lot greenery after Free Press exposé

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

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

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Defunct Pittsburgh Power Plant to Become Residential Tower
A decommissioned steam heat plant will be redeveloped into almost 100 affordable housing units.

Trump Prompts Restructuring of Transportation Research Board in “Unprecedented Overreach”
The TRB has eliminated more than half of its committees including those focused on climate, equity, and cities.

Amtrak Rolls Out New Orleans to Alabama “Mardi Gras” Train
The new service will operate morning and evening departures between Mobile and New Orleans.
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