A stinging critique of the public review process in New York City.

A recent critique of New York City's planning and development approvals processes, written by Justin Davidson, centers on Gowanus, Brooklyn, where a massive cleanup effort is now underway on the Gowanus Canal, along with a neighborhood rezoning study.
Both efforts have the potential to remake the neighborhood for a more equitable and salubrious quality of life for residents, according to Davidson, but the rezoning plan has fierce opponents, the cleanup will be subject to the fickle nature of federal bureaucracy, and the city's budget is "splintering" under the pressures of the pandemic.
"Those caveats shouldn’t be allowed to kill a good proposal or dampen its ambitions but rather prod the city to perfect it, and especially to demand the best design that New York’s architectural talent pool can offer," writes Davidson before expressing doubts about that potential outcome. "The rezoning may well get approved before de Blasio exits office just over a year from now, but to do so it will have to survive a planning system that has become unwieldy, unfair, and oriented toward mediocrity."
Gowanus is far from the only neighborhood cited in this article to describe the opposition forces to planning and development processes in New York City, as a defining characteristic of the newly progressive political climate, headlined by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortex, also includes fierce opposition to large-scale planning and development. "[C]aution has escalated to blanket hostility," writes Davidson.
"That urge to drive away private developers, and replace their clout and capital with public funds, is profoundly self-destructive, especially as the city’s budget withers before our eyes. Reflexive rejection is tragic because low-income areasneedrobust and thoughtful development," writes Davidson.
Key to the reality of the city's development opposition, Davidson argues, is the city's public review process: "The public-review process has a ritual, theatrical quality: months of persuasion, rejection, and mutual accusations of bad faith, frequently followed by a lawsuit. One side tries to eke out as many square feet out as possible, the other tries to knock the number down, or else extract concessions: a public plaza with benches, say, or some leftover space for a community center."
FULL STORY: New York’s Approval System for New Building Is a Recipe for Mediocrity

Eugene Ends Parking Minimums
In a move that complies with a state law aimed at reducing transportation emissions, Eugene amended its parking rules to eliminate minimum requirements and set maximum parking lot sizes.

How Paris, Texas Became a ‘Unicorn’ for Rural Transit
A robust coalition of advocates in the town of 25,000 brought together the funding and resources to launch a popular bus service that some residents see as a mobility lifeline—and a social club.

San Diegans at Odds Over ‘Granny Towers’
A provision in the city’s ADU ordinance allows developers to build an essentially unlimited number of units on single-family lots.

San Francisco Approves Zoning Reforms to Avoid ‘Builder’s Remedy’
The county board of supervisors voted to approve zoning changes that bring it closer to compliance with state housing mandates.

Where Are Millennials Moving to?
As the housing crisis rages on, four U.S. states are seeing high levels of new migration from young and middle-aged workers.

California Cities Cite Historic Preservation to Block Development
Are some cities using historic designations disingenuously?
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Park City Municipal Corporation
National Capital Planning Commission
City of Santa Fe, New Mexico
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.