In a decision that is still impossible in most of the country, Chicago's Department of Planning and Development is requiring housing and reduced surface parking to approve a retail project.
Chicago's Department of Planning and Development (DPD) has rejected a proposed development due to its "auto-centric plan" and "too much car parking," as well as its failure to include housing, writes John Greenfield. According to a Streetsblog Chicago article by John Greenfield, The Shops at Six Corners proposal called for more than 800 parking spaces and used the majority of the property for surface parking.
In a letter from the DPD, the department stated that "community stakeholders wanted to see the site developed to medium-scale density with a mix of commercial and residential land uses," and that the developer, GW Properties, "should engage in a community-led visioning process before resubmitting its application." Community members praised the DPD's rejection of the "overparked" proposal. In addition to calling for a housing component, the DPD indicated several additional requirements including a parking demand analysis, multilevel garage parking to minimize surface lots, separated pedestrian pathways, and design guidelines such as "avoiding large expanses of blank walls in areas with heavy foot traffic." According to the DPD, "the current proposal does not meet the standards of design excellence. Building design should consider and respect the character of the existing building stock in the Six Corners neighborhood."
FULL STORY: DPD denies approval for car-centric 6 Corners Project that is “significantly overparked”

Planning for Congestion Relief
The third and final installment of Planetizen's examination of the role of the planning profession in both perpetuating and solving traffic congestion.

Minneapolis Housing Plan a Success—Not for the Reason You Think
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New White House Housing Initiative Includes Zoning Reform Incentives
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Zoning Stands in the Way of Renewable Energy
Renewable energy is cheap as ever, but zoning isn’t keeping up with the market.

Mixed Use Could Lower Neighborhood Crime Rates
New research shows areas with a heavy concentration of commercial offices experience 40 percent higher crime rates than neighborhoods that mix residential and commercial uses.
City & Borough of Juneau
City & Borough of Juneau
DMR Architects
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Redwood City
City of Rohnert Park
City of Hot Springs
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.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.