New Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker has followed through on campaign promises to begin an overhaul of the city's planning department, handing out a series of firings in an effort to revitalize and streamline the city's planning process.
"Tagging the planning division 'a shambles' on the stump, new Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker retooled it Monday by ousting director George Shaw."
"He also stripped multiple layers of management, created one-stop shopping for permit needs at City Hall and appointed a new team to oversee the reorganization, which will include community advisers."
"So now the city is on a national search for a new planning boss as well as a community and economic-development director. Louis Zunguze, in limbo after earlier being removed from the latter role, has been dismissed, city officials confirm."
FULL STORY: As promised, Becker begins overhaul of planning department
Utah’s Affordable Housing Supply Dwindling
Rents and home prices are skyrocketing, forcing many residents to make difficult decisions or move out of major cities.
SLC Reveals Plan for Historic Park
Residents have called for preserving the unique mix of art and nature in Allen Park.
Will Salt Lake City’s Zoning Reforms Create More Affordable Housing?
The city’s new rules allow for more flexibility in housing development, but other market forces could limit production.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Houston Mayor Pauses Complete Streets Projects
The move raises concerns among road safety advocates who point out that traffic deaths continue to rise.
Twin Cities Trains Move to Fewer Cars, Higher Frequency
Headways will drop from 15 minutes to 12 minutes.
DC Bikeshare System Breaks Ridership Record
Capital Bikeshare users took over 20,000 rides on one day in March.
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HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
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HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
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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.
