After noting the heated rhetoric that surrounds development in Santa Monica, especially during election season, Jason Islas reveals claims of the city's overdevelopment to be true—if we're talking about cars.
"Since 2003, Santa Monica saw a net increase of about about [sic] 230 new multi-family housing units a year. Considering that the regional population grew from about 9.7 million in 2003 to more than 10 million people in 2013, the rate of housing construction in Santa Monica is relatively low, especially considering the location’s desirability," reports Jason Islas.
Islas also reveals that commercial development has lagged behind the cap proposed by a failed 2008 anti-development initiative called Prop T, or the "Residents’ Initiative to Fight Traffic."
Planning is at least partly responsible for the city's development constraints: "Santa Monica’s award-winning Land Use and Circulation Element (LUCE) specifically prohibits increased density in about 96 percent of the city. The vast majority of the proposed development is slated to replace currently underdeveloped land either in the city’s downtown or the formerly industrial Bergamot Area, where the [defeated by NIMBYs] Transit Village project was proposed."
Santa Monica's ostensibly environmentalist and liberal residents have their true interests revealed by the kicker of the article: "Since 2003, according to City officials, 2,751,266 net new square feet of parking has been built in the city, for both commercial and multi-family residential projects. That’s 250,115 square feet of parking each year, or about 760 standard-sized (about 330 square feet, if you include space needed to maneuver your car) parking spaces."
FULL STORY: SANTA MONICA AND THE MYTH OF OVERDEVELOPMENT
Parking Reform is Sweeping the Country. Does it Work?
A new study shows a significant reduction in housing construction costs in cities that have reduced or eliminated minimum parking requirements.
Santa Monica Garage-to-Affordable-Housing Conversion To Receive $2 Million
The city has been awarded $2 million in federal funding to support the conversion of a downtown parking structure into an affordable housing project.
Businesses Oppose Conversion of Parking Structure Into Affordable Housing
Business owners in downtown Santa Monica have filed a lawsuit opposing the city's planned replacement of a parking structure with housing, despite city studies showing that the city's downtown parking supply far exceeds demand.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
Caltrans will soon close half of the 101 Freeway in order to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County.
U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
California Grid Runs on 100% Renewable Energy for Over 9 Hours
The state’s energy grid was entirely powered by clean energy for some portion of the day on 37 out of the last 45 days.
New Forecasting Tool Aims to Reduce Heat-Related Deaths
Two federal agencies launched a new, easy-to-use, color-coded heat warning system that combines meteorological and medical risk factors.
AI Traffic Management Comes to Dallas-Fort Worth
Several Texas cities are using an AI-powered platform called NoTraffic to help manage traffic signals to increase safety and improve traffic flow.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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.
