A mixed bag of land-use changes, including relaxed parking standards and an increased threshold for environmental review, were passed by the Seattle City Council this week. Critics complain the legislation favors developers over residents.
In a scene playing out in cities across the country seeking to crawl out of the recession by "streamlining" land use regulations to stoke development and the creation of new jobs, Seattle passed "complex legislation" that "eases parking requirements for new development, raises the threshold for
environmental review to 200 residential units from 30, and eliminates a
requirement for ground-floor retail space outside of busy shopping
districts," reports Lynn Thompson.
"As we move Seattle in the direction of becoming more welcoming to
denser development around transit facilities, we should promote good
development, rather than trying to stop development because some of it
is problematic," Councilmember Richard Conlin said before the vote.
According to Thompson, neighborhood activists were particularly incensed by the relaxation of the environmental review threshold, "saying it eliminated an important avenue for communities to
weigh in on new buildings."
"It takes a tool away from neighborhoods willing to sit down with
developers and talk about their projects," said David Miller, president
of the Maple Leaf Community Council.
FULL STORY: http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2018756089_landuse24m.html
Development Streamlining Proposal Dies in San Francisco
The doomed effort was Mayor London Breed's third attempt to streamline development in the city.
Zoning Changes Would Mean More Granny Flats and Fewer McMansions in Seattle
Is this a two-birds-with-one-stone situation?
Op-Ed: Washington's State Environmental Policy Act 'Off the Rails' in Cities
Drawing on a slew of examples, Dan Bertolet argues that Washington's State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) has been co-opted in ways that run against its original purpose: protecting the environment.
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