City officials in Philadelphia are scrambling to deal with the fallout after a developer suddenly backed out of a deal that allowed additional height in exchange for affordable housing units for a 250-unit development near the Delaware River.
Inga Saffron reports: "A top Philadelphia zoning official said Monday that tenants will not be allowed to move into a luxurious new Delaware waterfront apartment building unless the developer includes 25 affordable units as promised - or offers a suitable alternative, such as ground-floor retail, public art, or a contribution to the city's Housing Trust Fund."
The developer in question, PMC Property Group, had nearly finished the 250-unit One Water Street project "when it asked to be released from an inclusionary housing deal that it cut with the city in 2014," adds Saffron. PMC had promised to build the affordable units in exchange for a 48-foot height bonus. At the time of Saffron's article, the developers had also offered no explanation for the change.
Saffron also includes an account of the fallout from PMC's decision—including outcry on social media and from housing advocates in the city of Philadelphia.
Philadelphia Kicks off $2 Billion Plan to Create 30,000 Housing Units
The city council approved the first loan for an affordable housing effort championed by Mayor Cherelle Parker.
The Philadelphia Loan Program Transforming the Demographics of Development
The Jumpstart loan program is helping Black and female residents become developers.
Philadelphia Mayor Hopefuls Want More Affordable Housing on Vacant Lots
Many of the candidates agree that a slow, complex sales process and strong councilmanic prerogative hinder the development of city-owned lots.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers
Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses
Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association