One unclear illustration almost reaped a $1 million reward for the Illitch family, owners of the Little Caesars Arena, the Detroit Tigers, and the Detroit Red Wings.

"The Detroit City Council approved an ordinance Tuesday to update the city's parking lot regulations following a Free Press investigation of lots owned by the Ilitch family near Little Caesars Arena," reports Joe Guillen.
"The ordinance amends the zoning code to remove any ambiguity that would allow the city's buildings department to issue permits for parking lots without interior landscaping," according to Guillen.
Guillen reported in January that favorable approvals made by the Detroit Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department since 2016 had the potential to produce a $1 million windfall for the Illitch organization. The organization was allowed "to build or renovate 18 parking lots throughout the Cass Corridor without including any landscaping inside the lots, which is required under the city’s zoning code." The Illitch family owns the Little Caesars Arena as well as the Detroit Red Wings and the Detroit Tigers.
The change to the zoning code updates an illustration that shows how landscaping should look in a parking lot.
FULL STORY: No more skirting rules for parking-lot greenery after Free Press exposé

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
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

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
The Trump administration is revoking federal support for renewable energy, but demand for new projects continues unabated.

Passengers Flock to Caltrain After Electrification
The new electric trains are running faster and more reliably, leading to strong ridership growth on the Bay Area rail system.

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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