One candidate is seen as combative to developers during a housing crisis, and the other is a real estate agent. The race to lead a section of Reno that includes the city's oldest, most historic neighborhoods came down to 82 votes.
Tabitha Mueller report on the results of the November election in Reno, Nevada, where voters chose between candidates for Reno City Council in Ward 1, which includes the city's Riverwalk District.
"The ward encompasses diverse neighborhoods and identities — old and new Reno, historic neighborhoods and a modernizing business district, new residents […] seeking unique recreational opportunities and long-time citizens hoping to maintain the character of a city they love," writes Mueller.
Incumbent Jenny Brekhaus won the election by the miniscule margin of 82 votes. The election was "one that residents, scholars and policymakers say was defined by contrasts in leadership styles and differing perspectives on developers’ roles in local governance," according to Mueller.
Brekhaus's opponent was real estate agent J.D. Drakulich, who was criticized during for receiving money from out-of-state real estate developers to fund his campaign.
"It's an outcome supporters heralded as a victory for independence and accountability on a council they say often acts in concert with special interests, but one that critics bemoaned as maintaining a combative presence on the council that could hinder needed development and growth," according to Mueller.
The article includes a lot more detail about the planning and development questions facing Ward 1 in Reno—which "contains some of oldest, most historic neighborhoods in the city, both commercial and residential..."
Read the full story: Reno council race decided by 82 votes as ward becomes central to questions of preservation, development
Another Rent Control Initiative on the Ballot in California
There are significant differences between Proposition 21, a statewide rent control measure on the ballot in California, compared to a similar measure defeated soundly by voters in 2018.
Nevada breaks ground on state's first wastewater-to-drinking-water plant
After initial treatment, the water will sit in a groundwater aquifer for years to filter further before it is pumped into the city’s tap water.
‘Biggest Little City’ Makes Room for Growth
The mayor of Reno has pushed for reforming housing regulations to support more affordable development.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
In Texas, data centers are swallowing promised parkland
Residents who moved to Taylor, Texas for a rural community now have to contend with three data centers in their backyard.
How a Chicago-sized wind farm beat the odds and powered on
The project spanned five presidential administrations and a standoff with a U.S. military base.
MTA gives itself 30 days to transform pit into basketball court
The site has been under construction since 2022; the city originally estimated it would finish the court in 2024.
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.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority