Marc Santora pens a pity piece for the fate of the automobile in New York City. Whereas, once upon a time the car was doing the bullying, the 'once-exalted automobile is now under siege.'
It seems that recent efforts to encourage non-motorized and alternative forms of transportation in New York City (e.g. the addition of bike lines and pedestrian plazas), along with rampant redevelopment of parking garage sites, are conspiring to make the automobile feel unloved in Manhattan.
"Over the last three decades, the number of off-street parking spots in Manhattan has fallen by one-fifth - to 102,000 from 127,000, according to the city study."
According to Santora, "The scarcity of parking has made it a must-have for wealthy apartment buyers, who view a space much as they do a fireplace or a walk-in closet. A spot can cost well over $200,000, or, if rented, more than $1,000 a month. "
"The city plans to convene a series of public meetings in coming weeks to consider the state of parking in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Officials say they are exploring allowing developers to create larger parking lots in Manhattan neighborhoods that rely on commuters, like the theater district or areas around hospitals."
FULL STORY: Can’t Park? Blame a Condo
Retrofitting Parking Garages to Create New Housing
Underused parking garages and lots offer an opportunity to alleviate the housing crisis by retrofitting them with temporary and permanent housing options.
State College Nixes New Downtown Parking Garage After Public Uproar
The borough’s council voted to reverse its decision to demolish several legacy businesses to build a new parking garage.
One Pandemic Real Estate Bet: Condos for Cars
The possibility of many more urban dwellers driving than ever before, even in transit-rich locations like New York City, is still very real.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers
Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses
Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.
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.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association