The owner of three centrally located parking lots in Denver is seeking a zoning change that would leverage affordable housing for free future development from height restrictions.
"Under the terms of a proposal expected to land in the Denver planning office this month, a trio of asphalt parking lots on Sherman Street east of downtown could be replaced with the city’s next batch of skyscrapers," reports Joe Rubino.
The properties would potentially build into the City Park view plane, according to Rubino—one of the most famous views in the city, maintained by a height restriction that limits construction to 155 feet.
"In exchange for the right to change one of Denver’s most iconic views with new, tall buildings, the [property owners] would agree to a city mandate that any new skyscrapers built on their lots include affordable housing and would pay for more than a half-million-dollars in sidewalk repairs, new trees and other streetscaping work along Sherman," according to Rubino.
Initial plans for the sites, prepared by local architecture firm Tryba Architects, would construct buildings as tall as 48 stories with a combined total of 211 affordable units.
Denver Pauses Multifamily Development in Westside Neighborhoods Amidst Gentrification Concerns
City officials say the pause on permits for redevelopment projects aims to stop the displacement of long-term residents.
Paris Reinstates Historic Height Limits as Part of its New Bioclimatic Local Urban Plan
Paris’ reinstated height limits, lowering height limits allowed in 2010, are part of Mayor Anne Hidalgo’s recently released Bioclimatic Local Urban Plan.
Is it Time to Revise D.C.’s Height Act?
The century-old rule has shaped the District’s iconic horizontal skyline, but some Council members say it need revision in light of the region’s growing housing crisis.
Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Montreal Mall to Become 6,000 Housing Units
Place Versailles will be transformed into a mixed-use complex over the next 25 years.
Santa Clara County Dedicates Over $28M to Affordable Housing
The county is funding over 600 new affordable housing units via revenue from a 2016 bond measure.
Why a Failed ‘Smart City’ Is Still Relevant
A Google-backed proposal to turn an underused section of Toronto waterfront into a tech hub holds relevant lessons about privacy and data.
When Sears Pioneered Modular Housing
Kit homes sold in catalogs like Sears and Montgomery Ward made homeownership affordable for midcentury Americans.
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.
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions