Proposed changes to the city’s preservation ordinance would make two-thirds of the city’s housing stock eligible for preservation.

It could become a lot harder to demolish buildings over 50 years old in Tempe, Arizona, according to an article by Phineas Hogan in The State Press.
“The Tempe Historic Preservation Commission is proposing to increase wait times for demolition permits for every property in Tempe over 50 years old” by making them all historically eligible,’ Hogan writes. “According to the Historic Preservation Ordinance, plans for demolition can continue if the commission deems the property not historical or if no determination is made within the period.”
The 60-day waiting period would “give the commission the time ‘to determine the potential of historic eligibility of the property’ and ‘to have time to reach out to the property owner and see ... if there might be some other options that could be worked out.’”
Housing advocates say this could compound the city’s housing crisis by delaying the construction of new buildings and adding costs for developers. “The proposed changes would mean most of Tempe's houses would be automatically designated historically eligible in the next 20 years. According to TownCharts, 67% of Tempe's homes were built before 1989.”
FULL STORY: Proposed changes to Tempe Historic Preservation could contribute to the Tempe housing crisis

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For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

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

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network
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New State Study Suggests Homelessness Far Undercounted in New Mexico
An analysis of hospital visit records provided a more accurate count than the annual point-in-time count used by most agencies.

Michigan Bills Would Stiffen Penalties for Deadly Crashes
Proposed state legislation would close a ‘legal gap’ that lets drivers who kill get away with few repercussions.

Report: Bus Ridership Back to 86 Percent of Pre-Covid Levels
Transit ridership around the country was up by 85 percent in all modes in 2024.
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