New York City is updating their Uniform Land Use Review Process. Tom Agnotti says there is a lot that is broken and needs fixing.
Agnotti accuses the NYC Planning Department of being "fixated on ad hoc localized zoning instead of planning."
He writes, "Zoning regulates the built environment but doesn't deal with most of the complex issues that New Yorkers care about. It regulates new development but does little to address most quality-of-life issues or solve serious problems in our neighborhoods. And there is an inherent conflict of interest with the city planning department charged with both pushing for zoning changes and with providing information and support to communities that might want to question those changes."
Read the full story: Charting a Better Way for Planning and Community Boards
What Actually Got Built Under Eric Adams’ ‘Pro-Housing’ Administration
The outgoing mayor claims credit for hundreds of thousands of new homes. The truth is more complicated.
Staten Island Resists ‘City of Yes’ Zoning Reforms
One year after New York City approved major zoning changes, some residents continue to fight increased density.
Upzoning Could Bring 15K New Homes to Queens
A rezoning plan for Long Island City opens up prime waterfront land for residential development, but some critics say new housing could be prone to flooding and should be built farther inland.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Los Angeles just elected an urban planner as its mayor
Transportation analysts are optimistic that Raman will be more aggressive in addressing transit issues than Bass.
Mamdani’s pied-à-terre tax survives legal challenge
A panel of judges found that the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate injury as a result of New York City's implementation of the tax.
Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity
Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.
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.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority