Since its publication, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 'The Great Gatsby' has epitomized affluence and excess, especially for New York, where the book is set. Leonardo DiCaprio aside, Elizabeth Harris looks at the enduring attraction of Gatsby for developers.
In advance of the opening of Baz Luhrmann's Gatsby movie this week, Harris examines the book's continued inspiration for real estate interests from Long Island to Michigan.
"There are the Gatsby condominiums on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and the Fitzgerald apartment building on the other side of Central Park. There is a Gatsby Lane carved out of a subdivision in Montgomery, Ala., where Mr. Fitzgerald’s wife, Zelda, was raised. And there is a 50-year-old company created by the real estate titan Peter Sharp and his longtime partner, Norman Peck, that still exists today."
“'You’re always looking for something of interest that ties in, so people can get emotionally involved in the marketing,' said Andrew Gerringer, managing director for new business development at the Marketing Directors, who was involved in naming both the Gatsby and the Fitzgerald, in Manhattan. 'The best is always a historical reference.'”
Perhaps the developers don't recall that the story ends in tragedy.
FULL STORY: Developers, Borne Back Ceaselessly Into Gatsby’s Embrace

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands
For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?
Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

Platform Pilsner: Vancouver Transit Agency Releases... a Beer?
TransLink will receive a portion of every sale of the four-pack.

Toronto Weighs Cheaper Transit, Parking Hikes for Major Events
Special event rates would take effect during large festivals, sports games and concerts to ‘discourage driving, manage congestion and free up space for transit.”

Berlin to Consider Car-Free Zone Larger Than Manhattan
The area bound by the 22-mile Ringbahn would still allow 12 uses of a private automobile per year per person, and several other exemptions.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)