As design proposals come in for the Hudson Yards development site in Manhattan, Peter Slatin writes that this project more than any other has the potential to bolster the economic power of New York City in a huge way.
"The particulars of the proposals that at least five development teams will deposit on Oct. 11 with New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority are sure to differ somewhat in their respective visions of the future of Manhattan's gritty, 28-acre Hudson Yards district. But the plans will certainly all be powered by the same overriding conceptual engine: this contested site is – no pressure, folks – intended to set Manhattan on course for the 21st century and save the city from global obsolescence."
"Large and raw, Hudson Yards isn't just another development parcel. It's a very real and potent extension of what is already the nation's largest, wealthiest and most powerful Central Business District. It's a new piece of, not just a new adjacency to, the market that is the very definition of high barrier to entry. But even before a piling has been driven in what will likely be the $1 billion-dollar decking over of the rail cut that is Hudson Yards itself (not to mention the likely $1 billion price tag for ownership), the site bears the expectations of many constituencies: City Hall and Albany, the would-be developers, the larger real estate industry and the city's business interests, and of the local and regional community."
"The entire redevelopment district, which is larger than the site immediately in question, holds out the potential to engender business and economic development on a grand scale and even resolve, through new mass transit, commuter and freight rail and trans-Hudson connections, some of the terribly difficult infrastructure challenges faced by the entire metropolitan region and especially the city."
FULL STORY: THE NEXT NEW YORK
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands
The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.
Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs
Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.
Detroit Transit Agency Requests $20M Budget Increase
The Detroit Department of Transportation wants to boost ridership by hiring more drivers, buying new buses, and enhancing station infrastructure.
California Bill Aims to Boost TOD
A bill proposed by Sen. Scott Wiener would exempt transit agencies from zoning rules near ‘high-quality’ transit stops and allow denser transit-oriented development.
Report: One-Fifth of Seattle Households Are Car-Free
According to one local writer, the city’s low rate of car ownership should encourage officials to support public transit and reduce parking minimums.
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.
Strategic Economics Inc
Resource Assistance for Rural Environments
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service