"Member deference" is what they call it New York, but many local elected officials in the United States have veto power over land use and development plans.
An opinion piece by Alec Schierenbeck calls for an end to the councilmember's land use veto in New York City.
"Under the City Council’s longstanding practice of 'member deference,' Council approval of any land-use change — like allowing affordable housing on a lot zoned for parking — turns on the opinion of the local member," according to Schierenbeck's explanation of the practice.
The inspiration for the argument behind this post comes from a decision by Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer, who represents the Sunnyside neighborhood in Queens, to kill a proposal that would develop a parking lot in the neighborhood into 100 percent affordable apartments.
That's a shame, according to Schierenbeck, in the midst of a housing affordability crisis. The writer calls for an end to the land use veto in New York: "But we can, and should, end a City Council practice that ensures the narrow preferences of each member control all of the Council’s power over land use. Because the forces behind rising rents, gentrification, and homelessness don’t stop at Council district lines, our solutions can’t either.
The idea seemed to win critical political support when Council Speaker Core Johnson entered the position in 2018, but during that time Schierenbeck doesn't see any change.
FULL STORY: End the Council’s land-use veto: The path to a more affordable, fairer New York
Opinion: Lower Rents Will Give Downtown Spaces Back to the ‘Weirdos’
Introducing the “CBGB theory of city planning.”
San Francisco Plans for 82,000 New Housing Units
California housing regulators have granted preliminary approval for the city of San Francisco’s housing element as mandated by the state’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation process.
Harlem Apartment Project Nixed in Favor of Truck Depot
After a proposal for a mixed-use development failed to gain support from a local city councilmember, the developer turned the site into a truck storage depot, prompting concerns over air quality and health impacts.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?
In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving
Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.
Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan
Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.
Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding
The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.
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.
Clanton & Associates, Inc.
Jessamine County Fiscal Court
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service