Instead of deriding the Philadelphia Planning Commission, everyone should be celebrating their achievements, says Michael Sklaroff.
"Residences, hotels and entertainment and other commercial uses have transformed the riverfront. In large measure, the plan has worked, notwithstanding a 1989 real-estate recession, the bursting of a gaming bubble in the early '90s and, more recently, a weakening national retail commercial market that frustrated Mel Simon's proposal for a family entertainment center at Penn's Landing.
So let's for once as Philadelphians celebrate our success. The Planning Commission has done what it is supposed to do and not micromanage the site design of important projects coming to market."
FULL STORY: CELEBRATE THE SUCCESS OF CITY PLANNING
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Planning for Accessibility: Proximity is More Important than Mobility
Accessibility-based planning minimizes the distance that people must travel to reach desired services and activities. Measured this way, increased density can provide more total benefits than increased speeds.
World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
Caltrans will soon close half of the 101 Freeway in order to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County.
Maine Approves Rent Relief Program
Legislators hope the assistance program will help struggling low-income households avoid eviction.
How Transit Architecture Impacts Real and Perceived Safety
More than a third of Americans believe major transit systems are too unsafe to ride. The built environment can change that.
New York Passes Housing Package Focused on New Development and Adaptive Reuse
The FY 2025 budget includes a new tax incentive, funding for affordable housing on state land, and support for adaptive reuse and ADUs.
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Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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.
