Several publications were reporting the expected defeat of a proposed development project in Manhattan this week. The 15-story project was the first private application of the city's new Mandatory Inclusionary Housing policy.
"A proposed 15-story residential building in a low-rise neighborhood in upper Manhattan has been halted amid community opposition, delivering a disappointment to Mayor Bill de Blasio as he seeks to expand affordable housing throughout the city," report Sally Goldenberg and Abby Baird.
Councilmember Ydanis Rodriguez invoked the specter of gentrification in voicing his opposition to the project. "Hundreds of residents" joined Rodriguez to protest the proposed development before the City Council vote.
"While the building would not have put a sizable dent in the mayor's goal of creating 80,000 new low- to middle-income apartments, it was symbolically significant," report Goldeberg and Baird. "It marked first private application under the city's new Mandatory Inclusionary Housing policy, which passed the City Council in March."
Instead of building the larger building, which would have included 178 new below-market-rate apartments, the developer could potentially now build a 14-story building with zero affordable units without seeking city approvals.
Audrey Wachs also reports on the failed development proposal, providing additional details about the rezoning necessary to build the defeated proposal.
Read the full story: Councilman opposes city-backed plan for development in Inwood Read more: http://www.politico.com/states/new-york/city-hall/stor
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
Northwest rail fans eager for Sept. 30 debut of Amtrak’s Airo fleet
Get ready for that new train smell and more seats. But they won’t go faster or run more frequently on the Cascades route in Washington and Oregon.
St. Louis Metro to test if single-car trains can reduce operating costs, maintain rider satisfaction
The pilot program will run from October to spring 2027, and begin with one single-car train operating on Metrolink’s Red and Blue lines.
Pennsylvania is building data centers in abandoned mines
Housing data centers in mines provides an alternative to destroying local forests and may spare residents from data centers’ noise and air pollution.
If Corpus Christi can’t revive desalination plant project, it may owe Texas $235 million
Earlier this month, city officials declined to pursue developing the plant for the second time in a year.
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.
City of Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello