Pine Lake, Georgia City Council Member Melanie Hammet finds songwriting inspiration in the issues of land use planning.
"One of her duties was slogging through a rewrite of the city codes. That didn't inspire any music, but it did teach her that the lingo found in zoning regulations tells how people relate - if you read between the lines.
'Even though the language is very esoteric, the subject is very personal,' she said.
Hammet wrote her land-use songs last January at Seaside, a 'new urbanism' town on the Florida Panhandle. The Seaside Institute, dedicated to the 'smart growth' of communities, gave her a spot as an artist-in-residence. With a cottage and a stipend, Hammet went to work.
In 'Anatomy of the Street Where You Live,' she imagines the benefits of a well-designed road system: 'Just enough shade just enough light/ Just enough room for the neighbors in the middle of a hot summer night/ Just enough room for a car to pass/ But it has to slo-ow down/ It's a perfect little street, a perfect little spot, a perfect little town.'"
FULL STORY: Pine Lake council member tuned into land use
Friday Funny: Squirrelly Passenger Causes UK Train Cancellation
Planetizen’s Friday Funny stories are often satirical, but this nutty story from Reuters is 100 percent genuine.
Friday Funny: Gated Community Doubles Down
The Onion skewers suburbia.
Friday Funny: How Much Parking Does That Parking Spot Need?
The Onion takes parking requirements to their logical conclusion.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.
Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?
Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.
In California Battle of Housing vs. Environment, Housing Just Won
A new state law significantly limits the power of CEQA, an environmental review law that served as a powerful tool for blocking new development.
Boulder Eliminates Parking Minimums Citywide
Officials estimate the cost of building a single underground parking space at up to $100,000.
Orange County, Florida Adopts Largest US “Sprawl Repair” Code
The ‘Orange Code’ seeks to rectify decades of sprawl-inducing, car-oriented development.
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
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont