Transit accessibility incentives are also included in a package of zoning reforms proposed this week that would provide incentives for grocery store developments in a wider swath of New York City.
Rebecca Baird-Remba reports on a bill proposed by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio this week that would expand zoning incentives for grocery stores and transit station accessibility improvements, "allowing developers to get extra floor area in their buildings in exchange for including a supermarket or improving transit."
The grocery store incentives would expand the FRESH program, in place since 2009, to 11 new community districts, reports Baird-Remba.
"FRESH, which is an acronym for Food Retail Expansion to Support Health, allows developers to negotiate an additional 20,000 square feet of residential floor area in a new building in exchange for including a grocery store of at least 20,000 square feet," explains Baird-Remba.
The program has been controversial since its inception for a lack of progress in lower-income neighborhoods in the city.
"The Department of City Planning said that it plans to implement 'guidance' to prevent 'detrimental clustering of FRESH supermarkets' in gentrifying neighborhoods that have seen a significant amount of new residential development over the past decade," adds Baird-Remba. "The city also plans to waive up to 10,000 square feet of parking for a grocery store."
In addition to the grocery store improvements, Mayor de Blasio is also proposing a "Zoning for Accessibility" initiative that would allow developers additional floor area in exchange for funding accessibility improvements at the city's transit stations—a challenge that currently falls well below thresholds of accessibility established by state and federal accessibility laws.
FULL STORY: City Hall Expands Zoning Bonuses for Grocery Stores, Transit Improvements
Zoning for Transit Accessibility
Using zoning codes to improve accessibility to public transit facilities is a new, but well overdue, idea.
‘City of Yes’ Zoning Initiative Announced to Support Business and Housing Opportunities in NYC
New York City’s new mayor, Eric Adams, has announced a new signature zoning initiative.
How Parking Reform Changed Development in Buffalo
New research quantifies the effect of parking reforms implemented by the city of Buffalo in 2017.
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