Daniel Doctoroff, deputy mayor for economic development and rebuilding in New York, discusses the changing (and more deliberate) way the city now goes about pursuing development projects.
"For just about each of Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff's early development projects, there is now another similar one wending its way through a review process. The new one may be just as ambitious--and controversial--as the old, but it is infused with a vastly different sensibility, more patient in its approach, more responsive to the grass-roots community."
"As he is about to step down as deputy mayor for economic development and rebuilding, Mr. Doctoroff eschews the idea that he or the Bloomberg administration went through a sea change in the way they approached development over the past six years."
"'It is fair to say that we have become better listeners, and we have reached out earlier and more often to the State Legislature,' Mr. Doctoroff told The Observer in a telephone interview on Dec. 10. 'On the other hand, we would not say that we did not go out and promote our ideas before. We have gotten better at it. I would not say there has been a dramatic shift.'"
"Still, what a shift there has been. On June 15, 2005, the Bloomberg administration announced that it supported a new Yankee Stadium. Without further ado-and in a process critics say ramrodded the project through-eight days later, it got the Legislature to set aside the park land where the ball team would build it."
"By contrast, the mayor announced on Nov. 8 of this year that the city wanted to swap park land to make way for a new amusement district in Coney Island. It will hold a couple of public meetings about it, and then leisurely ask that park alienation be introduced in Albany in January, and the city expects that it will take until June to get it passed."
FULL STORY: The Education of Daniel Doctoroff

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.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series
The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

Driving Equity and Clean Air: California Invests in Greener School Transportation
California has awarded $500 million to fund 1,000 zero-emission school buses and chargers for educational agencies as part of its effort to reduce pollution, improve student health, and accelerate the transition to clean transportation.

Congress Moves to End Reconnecting Communities and Related Grants
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee moved to rescind funding for the Neighborhood Equity and Access program, which funds highway removals, freeway caps, transit projects, pedestrian infrastructure, and more.

From Throughway to Public Space: Taking Back the American Street
How the Covid-19 pandemic taught us new ways to reclaim city streets from cars.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Ada County Highway District
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service