The New York Department of City Planning is considering changes to a formula used to model the shadows cast by potential developments as part of its Midtown East rezoning plan.

"The rezoning plan the city is seeking for Midtown East could eventually make streets in the district 10% darker," reports Daniel Geiger.
According to Geiger, planners in New York know that highly specific piece of information because of "an obscure formula known as the Waldram diagram, which is used by developers to calculate how much daylight a new building will block out…" The newsworthiness of the Waldram findings for Midtown East rezoning is compounded by the revelation that the Waldram formula is being "relaxed as part of the rezoning, allowing for taller and bulkier spires in the neighborhood."
"To encourage development, the Midtown East rezoning plan will allow towers to be built that are more than 40% bigger than the existing buildings in the district and also keep more of their bulk as they rise, in turn eclipsing more of the sky," explains Geiger. "Relaxing the Waldram formula is a key part of the plan, but has received little attention."
FULL STORY: A plan to rezone could make parts of Midtown East 10% darker

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie