Geoff Kees Thompson digs into one component of this old city's proposed mayoral platform for Philadelphia: the need to organize the city's alphabet soup of planning agencies under one director and give the Planning Commission teeth.
The public space- and Philadelphia-focused blog This Old City released a proposed mayoral platform late last week, issuing policy briefs on categories like transportation, public space quality, and clean streets.
This week, the platform's author, Geoff Kees Thompson, drills down on a few of the recommendations, including those under the headings of governmental reform, zoning and land use, city planning and infrastructure, and more. The government reform policy point, for instance, produces a call to "[place] the Planning Commission, Streets Department, Parks & Rec, Water Department & and the Land Bank under a new Department-level Director."
The platform and its corresponding blog posts provide broad and profound insights into the current politics of planning in the city of Philadelphia.
Height Limits, Roof Deck Ban Killed by Philly Planning Commission's Pocket Veto
The Philadelphia City Planning Commission made a "rare how of power" in using a variety of "pocket veto" to kill proposed height and roof deck restrictions in the Far Northeast section of Philadelphia.
Philadelphia Could Hit the Brakes on Housing
With bills on the table to update its zoning code, Philadelphia may be poised to slow the pace of its housing construction.
Facebook Campus Expansion Moving Forward in Menlo Park
A proposal to expand Facebook's footprint in the city of Menlo park gained key approval from the city's planning commission recently. The full City Council still needs to approve the plan.
Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.
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San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.
Half of Post-Fire Altadena Home Sales Were to Corporations
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Opinion: What San Francisco’s Proposed ‘Family Zoning’ Could Really Mean
Mayor Lurie is using ‘family zoning’ to encourage denser development and upzoning — but could the concept actually foster community and more human-scale public spaces?
Jacksonville Launches First Autonomous Transit Shuttle in US
A fleet of 14 fully autonomous vehicles will serve a 3.5-mile downtown Jacksonville route with 12 stops.
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