It's been a busy year for planners in Akron, Ohio. The most recent accomplishment is the completion of phase 1 of the Downtown Vision and Redevelopment Plan.
Jennifer Conn reports that the city of Akron and Downtown Akron Partnership released the findings of the first phase of the Downtown Vision and Redevelopment Plan.
In phase 1, the plan outlines 10 planning principles that will be guide new public and private developments:
- Focus on Main Street
- Build vitality through residential development
- Address business vacancy
- Create a coordinated incentive for redevelopment
- Make great public spaces
- Continue to program downtown
- Prioritize street design that enhances health and safety
- Expand on successful areas of activity
- Build on Akron's rich history
- Strengthen downtown connections with surrounding neighborhoods and institutions
The first phase of the plan also identifies five development sires as potentially catalytic for the new activity around the city, according to Conn. An official press release from the Downtown Akron partnership provides additional context for the Downtown Revision and Redevelopment Plan effort.
The Downtown Vision and Redevelopment Plan joins a series of planning efforts in 2016 intended to jump-start development in the city. Previous Planetizen posts regarding the city of Akron in 2016 include a plan to bring 50,000 residents back to the city, a bus system overhaul, and a proposal to end parking minimums.
FULL STORY: Akron's Downtown Vision & Redevelopment plan focuses on Main Street
Opinion: Lower Rents Will Give Downtown Spaces Back to the ‘Weirdos’
Introducing the “CBGB theory of city planning.”
East Lansing Parking Plan Aims for Walkability
East Lansing wants to ditch some of its surface parking to encourage economic activity and walkability.
The Once-in-a-Generation Opportunity to Remake Downtown
Urban cores around the country were transforming into live, work, and play destinations before the pandemic. The pandemic was a setback for this transformation, but it could also be a rare opportunity. It’s up to city leadership to seize it.
Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?
Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?
Research Shows More Roads = More Driving
A national study shows, once again, that increasing road supply induces additional vehicle travel, particularly over the long run.
Which US Rail Agencies Are Buying Zero-Emissions Trains?
U.S. rail agencies are slowly making the shift to zero-emissions trains, which can travel longer distances without refueling and reduce air pollution.
San Diego School District Approves Affordable Housing Plan
The district plans to build workforce housing for 10 percent of its employees in the next decade and explore other ways to contribute to housing development.
Lawsuit Aims to Stop NYC’s ‘City of Yes’ Zoning Reforms
A lawsuit brought by local lawmakers and community groups claims the plan failed to conduct a comprehensive environmental review.
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.
City of Moreno Valley
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland
Newport County Development Council: Connect Greater Newport