Recent suggestions from Philadelphia's City Council threaten the city's rebound and could turn swaths of Philadelphia into suburbia, argues Inga Saffron in a recent opinion piece.
City Council members have put forward proposals that may threaten the walkability and attractiveness of metro Philadelphia. According to The Philadelphia Inquirer's Inga Saffron, these proposals threaten Philadelphia's recovery by recommending outdated ideas on how to plan neighborhoods.
Among a number of proposals, Saffron first points to one from Councilmember Jannie Blackwell, "Who is pushing legislation that would double the amount of parking required in new developments." Blackwell found an ally in her push for parking in City Council President, Darrell Clarke, who, when describing the kind of development he would like, points the city toward his own district, which has many car-first developments. "If you wander thorough Clarke's district, you can see several of these mini-suburbs. They are the legacy of the early 1990s, when Philadelphia was at its lowest point," Saffron cautions.
The author would prefer that Philadelphia envision development that values keeping more people in the city. She points out how the current proposals are completely at odds with the president's pro-development playbook. While these council members talk a good game about affordable housing, Saffron warns, "Low-density development sabotages their stated goal of creating affordable housing."
Austin as a Model for Parking Reform
The Texas capital’s new parking law signals a shift in thinking about the relationship between land use, transportation, and housing affordability.
The Tragedy of Parking
Parking minimums and other zoning laws have made American cities untenable for any other type of transportation. It’s time we find a new way to zone our cities.
Richmond Poised to Repeal Parking Minimums
The city’s planning commission recommended that the city council eliminate parking mandates that limit housing production and increase housing costs.
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