Last week, the El Paso City Council approved a new city ordinance that broadens restrictions on landscaping in new developments. Opponents say the restrictions will discourage growth.
Robert Gray of El Paso, Inc. reports that the new ordinance "...increases the area that has to be landscaped, the size and number of various buffers between the street and the property, and mandates the number of trees planted on the street front, a tree every 30 feet."
Gray talks with Bob Ayoub, president of a real estate management firm, about the impact of the decision. Ayoub says that the new requirements would add a substantial amount of landscaping to all new projects, which would mean less space for buildings, the profitable part of the development:
"What it means, Ayoub says, is developers will wait even longer to break ground on new projects, striving to pre-lease a higher percentage of the space before starting construction."
FULL STORY: Landscape code could slow growth
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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.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
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Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
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