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
Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?
HSR Reaches Key Settlement in Northern California City
The state’s high-speed rail authority reached an agreement with Millbrae, a key city on the train’s proposed route to San Francisco.
Washington State Legislature Passes Parking Reform Bill
A bill that would limit parking requirements for new developments is headed to the governor’s desk.
Missouri Law Would Ban Protections for Housing Voucher Users
A state law seeks to overturn source-of-income discrimination bans passed by several Missouri cities.
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Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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