Following the success of Planning to Grow Akron, spurring the development of thousands of housing units in the previously stagnant city, Planning to Grow Akron 2.0 will leverage federal stimulus funds to further stabilize the city's housing market.
Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan announced a new housing strategy, called Planning to Grow Akron 2.0, this week, reports Doug Livingston.
"Planning to Grow Akron 2.0 — an update on the first version from 2017 — promises a lot: better housing code enforcement, stiffer fines for absentee landlords, smoother zoning and permitting processes, a landlord-tenant council, a comprehensive strategy for homelessness by 2022, and a ranking by condition of all 84,000 residential structures in the city."
"Central to the plan, though, is a commitment to revitalize housing in what post-industrial, Midwestern cities like Akron are calling 'middle neighborhoods,'" adds Livingston.
Mayor Horrigan is proposing an expenditure of $20 million, a portion of the $153 million awarded the city through the American Rescue Act, to go toward housing in the city.
According to the article, the Planning to Grow Akron 2.0 plan is the second major housing initiative proposed by Mayor Horrigan. The first Planning to Grow Akron plan "exempted property taxes for new residential construction anywhere in the city for 15 years. Developers have since pounced on these residential tax abatements, which couldn’t be more aggressively structured under Ohio law."
According to an analysis included in this week's updated housing strategy, the effect of the first Planning to Grow Akron plan has been tremendous: "Before Horrigan took office, Akron was averaging less than 20 new home permits a year. There are now 1,800 housing units being planned, under construction or completed."
FULL STORY: Updated housing strategy goes after bad landlords, focuses on struggling neighborhoods
New Downtown Master Plan for Danville, California
The city of Danville, located along the Easy Bay Area’s I-680 corridor, last week approved a new master plan for its downtown, with funding for implementation made possible by the American Rescue Plan Act.
'American Jobs Plan': Potential Sea Change for Federal Infrastructure Spending
After a week of speculation and rumor, the Biden administration today revealed its promised infrastructure plan.
Placemaking Redefined by a New Era of Federal Investment
Six tips for ensuring that new placed-based funding programs, such as the Build Back Better Regional Challenge, achieve the full potential of a new era of place-based federal investment.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename DC Metro “Trump Train”
The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the system until the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA).
DARTSpace Platform Streamlines Dallas TOD Application Process
The Dallas transit agency hopes a shorter permitting timeline will boost transit-oriented development around rail stations.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
Car-Centric LA Suburb Looks to a Train-Oriented Future
City leaders in Rancho Cucamonga, the future western terminus of the Brightline West rail line to Las Vegas, want to reimagine the city as a transit-oriented, pedestrian-friendly community.
New Alaska Bitcoin Mine Would Burn as Much Energy as the State’s Largest Coal Plant
Fueled by “stranded” natural gas, the startup hopes to become the largest in the US, and to make Alaska an industry center.
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.
Municipality of Princeton
Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission
City of Mt Shasta
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)