The New York Department of City Planning has proposed more permissive zoning regulations for the neighborhood just to the south of Amazon's future home in Long Island City.

"The Department of City Planning is about to release a long-overdue plan to encourage taller commercial buildings in the industrial zone that stretches from Greenpoint to Bushwick in northern Brooklyn," reports Rebecca Baird-Remba.
"The rezoning process kicked off three years ago when Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a ten-point, $115 million plan to create more job opportunities and protect businesses in New York City’s manufacturing areas," adds Baird-Remba.
Included among the planning efforts to grow out of that ten-point plan was the North Brooklyn Industrial Business Zone (IBZ)—a 1,066-acre swatch of land along Newtown Creek and neighboring Long Island City—the future location of Amazon's HQ2 facility in New York.
The proposed changes to zoning in the North Brooklyn Industrial Business Zone (IBZ), referred to as the Brooklyn Industry and Innovation Plan, include new density in manufacturing areas and right-sized parking requirements—favorite causes for the area of planners, business owners, and developers, according to the article.
A press release from the New York Department of City Planning provides more on the Brooklyn Industry and Innovation Plan, focusing on the plan's intentions to encourage employment in the area.
FULL STORY: City Unveils Plan to Allow More Development in Industrial North Brooklyn

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