Well intentioned but loose zoning regulations are threatening the character some of the city's historic neighborhoods.
"On Sunday, another one bites the dust. The implosion of the old Charlotte Coliseum will add to the body count of memory-laden Charlotte buildings that got scraped away.
In some ways it's understandable why the Coliseum, only 19 years old, is expendable. It was designed for a city with no NBA team, built before pricey luxury seats were seen as essential.
Even so, it adds to a continuing Charlotte mystery: Why do we tear down so much?
I don't have easy or complete answers. Some of the factors are specific policies: A state building code that until a few years ago made renovations expensive. Yet there's also a civic habit: a uniquely Charlotte striving to be always bigger, always bolder.
But as I've watched development here, I've also noticed that many other growing cities haven't seen demolition derbies like Charlotte's."
FULL STORY: Eve of destruction looming for historic areas?
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
Mamdani overhauls NYC's Vision Zero plan with 100 new policy goals
The overhaul aims to reduce traffic deaths and make streets safer for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers through lower speed limits, new safety infrastructure and more.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
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.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association