In Seattle, City Hall wants to open the neighborhood planning process to new demographics. The changes have rattled traditional neighborhood councils.
In the urban contest between developers and NIMBYs, the concerns of renters, residents of color, and other underrepresented groups often get scant consideration. Seattle's Mayor Ed Murray and Department of Neighborhoods director Kathy Nyland want to change that.
Erica C. Barnett discusses a series of policy shifts, starting with last July's decision to cut ties and funding for Seattle's 13 Neighborhood District Councils. Instead, the city is seeking volunteers for a new Community Involvement Commission, which will represent substantially more diverse interests than the councils. The city will also form a renters' commission to represent that oft-ignored group.
Needless to say, traditional groups aren't happy. Barnett writes, "homeowners, who tend to be white, more affluent and older than the average resident, have shaped neighborhoods in their reflection — building a city that is consistently rated as one of the nation's most livable, as well as one of its most expensive [...] The shakeup has rattled traditional neighborhood groups, which have grown accustomed to outsized influence at City Hall."
Read the full story: How Seattle Is Dismantling a NIMBY Power Structure
To Clear Obstacles to Housing Affordability, Environmental Law Reformed in Washington
State and local lawmakers hope that recent reforms to the Washington State Environmental Policy Act are only an initial step toward ending the law's use as a tool for delaying affordable housing plans.
Luxury Condos, Not Luxury Single-Family Homes, Take the Blame in the Affordability Debate
An article in The Urbanist suggests the ire over new developments is misplaced.
The Psychic Forces of NIMBY Rage
With several years of contentious political debates, many surrounding homelessness, ravaging Seattle, a writer attempts to explain how the politics of city building got so heated.
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.
Judges permit Denver to divert 77,000 acre feet from the Colorado River for reservoir expansion
Overuse and climate change have caused the Colorado River’s water levels to plummet.
Philadelphia to invest $2 billion into upgrading city airports as PHL places last in customer satisfaction
Modernizations to Philadelphia's airports will include baggage system upgrades and a new automated parking garage guidance system.
The LA housing policies making developers turn away from the city
Despite LA’s housing shortage, developers say the city’s "mansion-tax" and pandemic-era policies make it an unappealing place to build housing.
New density bill would require 7 California cities to establish regional transit hubs
The bill would also require major cities in California to permit high-rise residential buildings.
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 Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
KFH Group Inc.
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello