The landlord lobby isn't accepting defeat.
Luis Ferré-Sadurní reports: "Two real estate trade groups and seven landlords filed a federal lawsuit on Monday night aimed not just at opposing the new rent laws in New York City, but also at challenging the entire rent-regulation system, which dictates the rents of about 2.4 million tenants who live in nearly 1 million rent-stabilized apartments."
"They are betting the new laws will bolster their claims that the rent-stabilization system — which subjects units to government-mandated caps on rent increases — is unconstitutional and amounts to an unlawful taking of property," according to Ferré-Sadurní.
The sweeping changes to the state's rent laws were considered a surprising defeat to a traditionally powerful lobby in the state—and the changes were expected to impact communities far outside of New York City. The lobby clearly isn’t ready to concede defeat.
The lawsuit hopes the court will decide that rent control violates the 14th Amendment's due process clause and the takings clause of the Fifth Amendment.
FULL STORY: Landlords Strike Back, Suing to Dismantle Rent Regulation System
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