The city of Santa Rosa has made a concerted effort to plan for new development, but projects have yet to materialize.
"In a region where housing advocates proclaim the virtues of adding apartments and condominiums to the cores of established cities, Santa Rosa shows how difficult such a transformation can be," reports John King.
According to King, the city, located deep in the North Bay, in wine country, has been aggressive in cutting developer fees and expediting project review. The city also recently gave initial approval to a plan that will allow as many as 7,000 new units in the city's downtown, according to King.
The rub: "Despite all this, the only housing under construction near historic Courthouse Square is a modest building with 17 apartments," writes King. "Developers are intrigued but wary. Blueprints for approved projects are gathering dust."
According to King, the problem stems from the limits of planning policy compared to basic economics.
FULL STORY: Santa Rosa wants developers to build downtown housing. They’re not so sure
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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.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions