Parking is at the center of proposed urban design and planning responses a recent melee at Montrose Beach in Chicago, which followed an un-permitted concert.
John Keilman reports on responses to a "massive, illegal party" at the Montrose Beach earlier in July. Much of the discussion was provoked when "Ald. James Cappleman, 46th, said [the party] was enabled by the relatively plentiful parking nearby."
Much of the discussion about the beach's parking has taken place on Streetsblog, where John Greenfield details the debate about the beach's parking. Streetsblog writer Steven Vance has even calculated (on his personal blog) the size of paved parking lot area for the beach, which totals 9.25 acres (or seven football fields).
Keilman also devotes significant ink to a proposal (interesting how often citizen-led urban design proposals get mainstream media attention in Chicago) by local architect Matt Nardella: "In sketches he posted online, Nardella shows the two parking lots just west of the sand replaced by open land dedicated to a bird sanctuary. Street parking, now free, would be metered….Other changes he suggests include adding Divvy bike sharing stations, a boardwalk and a large parking area for bicycles."
FULL STORY: Architect's Montrose Beach plan would sacrifice parking

New York Governor Advances Housing Plan Amid Stiff Suburban Opposition
Governor Kathy Hochul’s ambitious proposal to create more housing has once again run into a brick wall of opposition in New York’s enormous suburbs, especially on Long Island. This year, however, the wall may have some cracks.

Rethinking the Role of Parking in the American City
In cities big and small, the tide is turning against sprawling parking lots, car-centric development, and minimum parking mandates.

Friday Eye Candy: 20 AI-Generated Cityscapes
AI-generated images are creating new landscapes and cityscapes, capable of inspiring awe or fear.

Proposed Pool Would Make an Olympic-Sized Play Area in the San Francisco Bay
The San Francisco Bay is usually an undesirable place to swim, except for a hearty few. A development proposal seeking assistance at the state level would add a pool to the Bay’s waters to make the idea of going for a swim more appealing.

Chicagoland Transit Agencies Call for State Funding as Budget Shortfall Looms
Illinois transit agencies want to see changes to a law requiring them to collect half of their revenue from transit fares, arguing that low ridership and staffing shortages will lead to a massive budget gap without intervention.

Panel: Minneapolis Zoning Updates Should Reflect Mixed-Use Future
A discussion of post-pandemic changes in work and commuting concluded that the city’s overhaul of its zoning code should be less restrictive with land uses.
Princeton Planning
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HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
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