Greg O'Connell has been called that, for his community-developing strategies that helped transform Red Hook. His new target: the small town of Mount Morris in upstate New York.
O'Connell started investing in Red Hook in 1982, and is now the largest landowner in the borough.
In the New York Times, Dwight Garner calls him "a gentrifier of a sort, albeit one who loathes most of what we've come to think of as gentrification."
"He's a longtime admirer of Jane Jacobs - he used to carry her classic book, "The Death and Life of Great American Cities," around like a talisman - and he learned from her and other urban planners."
FULL STORY: The Last Townie
Cuomo Is the Candidate of Both NIMBYs and Developers. What Gives?
In the New York City mayoral race, odd bedfellows align to preserve the housing status quo.
The Philadelphia Loan Program Transforming the Demographics of Development
The Jumpstart loan program is helping Black and female residents become developers.
Breaking NYC’s Housing Speculation Cycle
When wealthy investors treat homes like poker chips, it is the tenants who end up losing. How do we interrupt the vicious cycle of speculation and displacement?
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.
MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.
Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie