Agencies in the city of New York needed to state clearance to win design-build authority. Mayor Bill de Blasio hopes the change will allow more efficient development of capital projects.
The New York State legislature approved a new law that grants design-build authority to "all sorts" of New York City agencies: the Departments of Design and Construction, Environmental Protection, Transportation and Parks and Recreation, as well as the School Construction Authority, New York City Health and Hospitals and the New York City Housing Authority.
Will Bredderman reports on the new state law, describing the effect as a long-time goal of New York Mayor Bill de Blasio. "The power allows the city to issue a single request for proposal and contract for the engineering and construction of certain capital projects—which advocates argue enhances coordination, reduces bureaucratic hang-ups and slashes costs," explains Bredderman.
FULL STORY: City agencies get design-build authority
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