Ashley Hahn reports on Philadelphia's "Community Sustainability Initiative," a data-driven process for evaluating public investments. Questions remain about how the new decision making framework will change planning operations in the city.
According to Ashley Hahn, the "Community Sustainability Initiative" (CSI) (which was announced in August) "is intended to help City Council take a data-driven approach to public spending based on seven different measurements of neighborhood health – from housing and commercial corridors to public amenities and education. These metrics, not just which neighborhoods are best organized or outspoken, will influence neighborhood improvement strategies over time."
The data-driven model for evaluating public priorities is not without precedent in Philadelphia: "CSI sounds an awful lot like work the Philadelphia City Planning Commission has already been doing under the citywide comprehensive planning effort, Philadelphia2035, and 18 related district plans to give different areas of the city policy and spending recommendations. The citywide vision was adopted by City Council in 2011 and the district plans are still in progress."
The article goes on detail how the City Council's new framerowk for decision making might complement or supplement the framework already in place under Philadelphia2035: "Given solid information, and the will to trust it, Council could actually be guided by independent findings that echo recommendations in Philadelphia2035’s Citywide Vision and the priorities set in individual District Plans. That could put Council and PCPC squarely on the same page. Wouldn’t that be something?"
FULL STORY: Will the Community Sustainability Initiative turn City Council into planners?
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
Montreal’s Gorilla Park Repurposes Defunct Railway Track
The park is part of a global movement to build public spaces that connect neighbors and work with local elements to serve as key parts of a city’s green infrastructure.
Safe Parking Programs Help People Access Housing
The safety and stability offered by Safe Parking sites have helped 40 percent of unhoused San Diego residents who accessed these programs get into permanent housing.
Study: Single-Staircase Buildings Pose No Additional Risks
Zoning codes have long prohibited single-stair residential buildings due to safety concerns, but changing that could lower the cost of construction and allow for more flexible housing designs.
Forest Service Rescinds Tree Planting Grants
The $75 million program fell victim to the federal government’s purge of ‘DEI’-related projects.
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.
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research