After a proposal for a mixed-use development failed to gain support from a local city councilmember, the developer turned the site into a truck storage depot, prompting concerns over air quality and health impacts.

After a local councilwoman protested a proposed housing development on a Harlem lot, citing gentrification concerns, the developer chose to use the site for a truck depot instead. “Their fight reflects the challenge of building housing in New York,” write Emma G. Fitzsimmons and Mihir Zaveri in the New York Times.
The proposal, which was supported by Mayor Eric Adams, included over 900 housing units, with 10 percent set aside for households making less than $40,020 per year. Councilwoman Kristin Richardson Jordan “said she would have agreed to the project had Mr. Teitelbaum agreed to include more homes that were affordable to people with lower incomes — making a fifth of the apartments available to families of four earning $40,020 per year, for example, and reserving half of the apartments for families of four earning up to about $80,040.” Jordan called her proposal “an extreme compromise” that would still result in massive profits for the developer.
The decision to replace the proposed apartment tower with truck parking raises the stakes of New York’s already tense debate over housing, with neighbors accusing developer Bruce Teitelbaum of intentionally causing harm with the polluting, noisy facility. Teitelbaum says he is considering other options for the lot that would not require city approval, like a smaller apartment building or a self storage facility.
FULL STORY: Why Harlem Is Getting a Truck Depot Instead of New Housing

New York Governor Advances Housing Plan Amid Stiff Suburban Opposition
Governor Kathy Hochul’s ambitious proposal to create more housing has once again run into a brick wall of opposition in New York’s enormous suburbs, especially on Long Island. This year, however, the wall may have some cracks.

The End of Single-Family Zoning in Arlington County, Virginia
Arlington County is the latest jurisdiction in the country to effectively end single-family zoning.

The Quiet Housing Crisis in Rural America
While housing shortages in major cities are grabbing headlines, rural communities are seeing higher rates of growth in housing prices and a silently spreading homelessness crisis.

Federal Loan to Support San Diego Desalination Plant Overhaul
The financing will go toward funding an updated cooling system and ensuring the protection of local marine life.

Seattle Bus Lane Cameras Capture Over 100,000 Violations
An automated traffic enforcement pilot program caught drivers illegally using transit lanes more than 110,000 times in less than a year.

The Joy of Walking
An essay meditating on the simple pleasures of a good walk.
Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
City of Kingsville
Princeton Planning
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 Spearfish
City of Lomita
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.