Tuesday's mail-in vote by residents of Greenwood Village to overwhelmingly reject a city-council approved plan to allow mixed-use development at a light rail station is a major setback for smart growth proponents.

Residents of Greenwood Village, pop. 15,000, in Arapahoe County outside Denvery rejected by over 75 percent a general plan amendment approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council to allow mixed-used development at Orchard Station.
"A 'no' vote — no to the idea of amending the city’s comprehensive [or general] plan to encourage taller buildings and multifamily housing at the site — would have Greenwood Village bucking the trend of the last decade of embracing transit oriented developments," reports John Aguilar for The Denver Post on Monday, June 5.
Trail to the ballot box
"At issue is the draft Orchard Station Subarea [pdf] plan, an amendment to the city's comprehensive plan that would enable $1.4 billion in development on 44 acres near the Orchard Station on the RTD's E and F [and R] light rail lines," states a post in February by Planetizen editor James Brasuell on the controversial development.
"An updated version of the Orchard Station Subarea Plan was approved by the Council on a 5-3 vote on March 20, moments before council members unanimously decided to let voters make the final decision this summer on whether to adopt the plan," reported Joe Rubino in April for The Denver Post. Earlier, Mayor Ron Rakowsky had "vowed to veto the controversial land-use measure if the City Council adopted it."
On June 6, Rubino reports on the results. Did fear of urbanization motivate voters?
“It’s a clear mandate. There is no doubt about that,” Jerry Presley, a former City Councilman and one of the leaders of the opposition campaign, said Tuesday night. “I think we won this election for several reasons... It’s because we love our city and we don’t want it to be urbanized.”
Councilwoman Freda Miklin voted for the plan in March and defended it as a means to help alleviate the city’s traffic woes by making better use of light rail.
The developer, Greenwood Village-based Alberta Development Partners, took the defeat in stride. "Founding principal Don Provost applauded the level of civic engagement on both sides of the Orchard Station debate and made it clear his firm will continue to look at opportunities in the area."
Hat tip to Stephen Miller, Streetsblog USA.
FULL STORY: Greenwood Village Orchard Station plan defeated soundly

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

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

The Five Most-Changed American Cities
A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.

San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan
The plan provides a comprehensive framework for making San Diego’s transportation network more multimodal, accessible, and sustainable.

Housing, Supportive Service Providers Brace for Federal Cuts
Organizations that provide housing assistance are tightening their purse strings and making plans for maintaining operations if federal funding dries up.

Op-Ed: Why an Effective Passenger Rail Network Needs Government Involvement
An outdated rail network that privileges freight won’t be fixed by privatizing Amtrak.
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.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions