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

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
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Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
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Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
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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.
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