Two SoHo residents argue that outdated zoning holds the Manhattan neighborhoods back, requiring special permits or variances for many current residential and commercial uses.
A co-op owner and an art gallery owner, both residents of SoHo, make the case for an overhaul to the present zoning of SoHo and NoHo. "Our zoning hasn't been updated in almost 50 years, but the neighborhood has clearly changed," they write. "As a result, the majority of residents and small businesses must have special permits or variances. This is no way to bolster a district."
The last commercial zoning overhaul took place in the 1970s, "when wholesale textile and manufacturing companies were already on their last legs. Ground-floor retail is largely illegal without a special permit." Residents who aren't certified artists also require special permitting.
The authors make a case that brick-and-mortar retail businesses need all the help they can get. But onerous permitting requirements make it difficult for them to operate in SoHo and NoHo. "To support this existing economic engine, we must create a fair, straightforward environment. In this difficult time for retailers, business owners need flexibility."
FULL STORY: Outdated regulations shackling SoHo and NoHo
How to Repurpose Vacant Storefronts
Loosening restrictions on clean light manufacturing can revive dormant storefronts and revitalize communities.
NoHo and SoHo Rezoning Controversies, Amplified
One of the big questions of planning is up for debate with a proposed rezoning in the SoHo and NoHo neighborhoods of New York City: Can upzoning be an effective tool for affordability?
Advocating for Upzoning in Two of New York's Wealthiest Neighborhoods
The New York City Department of City Planning is expected, very soon, to release a rezoning proposal for the neighborhoods of SoHo and NoHo in New York City.
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.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
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