With only two weeks left in office, Mayor Michael Bloomberg is still adding to one of the most visible legacies of his administration - the city's evolving built environment. Approvals are being sought for more than $12 billion worth of projects.
Deputy mayor Robert K. Steel is leading a full court press to push through approvals for Mayor Bloomberg's favorite projects, including the massive Domino Sugar Refinery redevelopment in Brooklyn.
"The gusher of projects recently approved or on track for approval in Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s final days include an outlet mall and a giant observation wheel on Staten Island, totaling $580 million, and a relatively modest $16 million building in Manhattan with 55 experimental micro-apartments, as well as a $2 billion residential complex on the Brooklyn waterfront and the country’s largest indoor skating complex, to be built in the Bronx," observes Charles V. Bagli.
"Many projects are rooted in the early days of Mr. Bloomberg’s 12-year tenure and were steered by his first deputy mayor and chief development architect, Daniel L. Doctoroff. More than once, Mr. Bloomberg has said that Mr. Doctoroff, and by extension himself, had a 'greater impact on this city, I think, than Robert Moses.'"
FULL STORY: Going Out With Building Boom, Mayor Pushes Billions in Projects

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Wind Energy on the Rise Despite Federal Policy Reversal
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Texas Churches Rally Behind ‘Yes in God’s Back Yard’ Legislation
Religious leaders want the state to reduce zoning regulations to streamline leasing church-owned land to housing developers.
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