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."
FULL STORY: How Seattle Is Dismantling a NIMBY Power Structure

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

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

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Cleveland to Boost Bike Safety With New Bike Lanes, School Programs
The program, using curriculum created by Cleveland Bikes, is part of a broader effort to improve safety along school routes.

Florida Home Insurers Disproportionately Dropping Low-Income Households
Non-renewal rates are highest in inland counties, not the coastal areas most immediately vulnerable to storms.

Half of Post-Fire Altadena Home Sales Were to Corporations
Large investors are quietly buying up dozens of properties in Altadena, California, where a devastating wildfire destroyed more than 6,000 homes in January.
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