Pelham Square, a 200 home development proposed by creators of Celebration, faced opposition by County planners and residents due to its rural location and density.
A controversial DeLand-area development was approved in a rural portion of Florida's Volusia County to allow 200 homes and a public bicycle path near a potential future commuter rail stop. As the plans for the commuter rail system have not yet been approved, the County's Planning and Land Development Commission voted against the project last month, finding that it was too high-density for the rural area.
Before the meeting, residents of nearby rural Hontoon gathered more than 500 petitions of opposition, urging the council to reject the plan. But council members praised the proposal, describing it as a well-designed mix of clustered homes and open space that will make good use of the future commuter rail stop. Council member Carl Persis, who cast the lone dissenting vote, said the developer's four-homes-per-acre plan will strain roads and the environment, and force residents to live "all shoe-horned together."
"If this is smart growth, we should ask for smarter growth," he said.
Thanks to Sheryl Stolzenberg
FULL STORY: Land-use plan wins county approval
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
Can We Please Give Communities the Design They Deserve?
Often an afterthought, graphic design impacts everything from how we navigate a city to how we feel about it. One designer argues: the people deserve better.
The EV “Charging Divide” Plaguing Rural America
With “the deck stacked” against rural areas, will the great electric American road trip ever be a reality?
Judge Halts Brooklyn Bike Lane Removal
Lawyers must prove the city was not acting “arbitrarily, capriciously, and illegally” in ordering the hasty removal.
Engineers Gave America's Roads an Almost Failing Grade — Why Aren't We Fixing Them?
With over a trillion dollars spent on roads that are still falling apart, advocates propose a new “fix it first” framework.
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.
Borough of Carlisle
Smith Gee Studio
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)