Planning is politics, an Atlanta case study.

"Atlanta will take a month to reconsider a controversial proposal to boost residential density in traditional neighborhoods," reports David Pendered.
The Atlanta Department of Planning and Development has been working on the proposed Comprehensive Development Plan for about a year, aiming to align the city's land use regulations with the Atlanta City Design vision created in 2017. The entire program has strong support from Mayor Keisha Bottoms and a template that echoes reforms supported by the Biden administration.
Now, however, Bottoms is not seeking reelection and the Comprehensive Development Plan is encountering opposition from councilmembers. Bottoms had emerged as a strong voice in support of pro-development planning reforms to deliver new housing supply to keep pace with rising demand (and prices) for housing.
Recommendations included in the current draft of the Comprehensive Development Plan include "providing housing for future residents by allowing owners to subdivide a house lot, and sell pieces of land for construction of one or more dwelling units," reports Pendered.
"Another plan is to allow a house near a MARTA rail station to be replaced by an apartment complex of eight units, or thereabouts."
FULL STORY: Atlanta’s plan to boost density stalls in council; Mayor’s team doesn’t reveal intents

Montreal Mall to Become 6,000 Housing Units
Place Versailles will be transformed into a mixed-use complex over the next 25 years.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

Nevada Legislature Unanimously Passes Regional Rail Bill
If signed by the governor, the bill will create a task force aimed at developing a regional passenger rail system.

How Infrastructure Shapes Public Trust
A city engineer argues that planners must go beyond code compliance to ensure public infrastructure is truly accessible to all users.

Photos: In Over a Dozen Cities, Housing Activists Connect HUD Cuts and Local Issues
We share images from six of the cities around the country where members of three national organizing networks took action on May 20 to protest cuts to federal housing funding and lift up local solutions.
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