Rezoning
Bloomberg Loses Battle for Ambitious Midtown Upzoning
It was supposed to be the crowning land use achievement in a mayoral reign that saw 40 percent of New York City rezoned. But statements indicate the City Council is set to shelve Mayor Bloomberg's controversial Midtown East upzoning.
Bloomberg Gives East Midtown Rezoning One Last Push, But Will City Council Budge?
After rezoning 37 percent of New York City, Mayor Bloomberg is pursuing one last major rezoning plan before he leaves office. But will a lame duck Council speaker and her colleagues grant the mayor a final victory?
What is the Key to Improving New York City's Livability?
The candidates competing to emerge from today's mayoral primary confront a host of challenges that threaten the quality of life in the Big Apple. Five experts identify the issues they believe are key to improving the city's livability.
To Remain Competitive, NYC Should Bolster Placemaking, Not Its Skyline
Michael Kimmelman comes out against the plan to rezone a 73-block area around Grand Central Terminal to allow the replacement of "aging commercial buildings with giant new office towers". The city should focus on planning, not zoning, he argues.
Manhattan Upzoning Stumbles on Way to the Finish Line
NYC's revised plan for rezoning the area known as East Midtown met with a chilly reception from a variety of community and interest groups when unveiled last week. Planners are trying to finalize the controversial plan before Mayor Bloomberg exits.
Could Golf Courses Become the Next Redevelopment Frontier?
In Portland, Oregon an unlikely partnership of environmental and business interests is supporting a plan to rezone an 84-year-old golf course to allow industrial development, bringing a new slant to the term 'greenfield development'.
Schizo Skyline: Warring Williamsburg Mandates Leave Waterfront Out of Whack
Did the rezoning of the Williamsburg waterfront backfire? Stephen Jacob Smith reflects on the lack of transition between the neighborhood's skyscraping waterfront and its low-rise inland, a missing middle mandated by recent upzoning.
New Reports Stake out Ground in NYC Rezoning Debate
Two position papers out this week present the opposing viewpoints in the contentious debate around New York's Midtown East rezoning. Should historic building protections in the area be expanded or should developers be allowed to maximize density?
Film Review: Gentrification and Rezoning in Downtown Brooklyn
Kelly Anderson's documentary My Brooklyn tells the story of gentrification through the lens of corporate interests in urban planning.
NYC Rezoning Threatens Historic Buildings
New York's Municipal Arts Society has released a list of 17 historic buildings it believes are threatened by the Bloomberg administration's plans to re-zone a significant portion of the area surrounding Grand Central Terminal.
NIMBY Zoning And the Tragedy Of The Commons
Decades ago, ecologist Garrett Hardin wrote about the "tragedy of the commons"- when an action that is rational for one person becomes irrational when widely practiced. For example, suppose that there are a few dozen cattle ranchers near a pasture open to all. It makes sense for each rancher to let as many cattle graze as possible on the pasture, so that the ranchers can feed their cattle without buying additional land. But if every rancher lets as many cattle as possible graze, sooner or later the land will be overgrazed and the cattle may starve.
How NYC was Zoned...and Rezoned
Why rezone? John Farley summarizes the factors leading up to some of the city's biggest and more recent rezonings, as well as their impacts on on their surroundings.
In Some Ways, Downtown Brooklyn's Aspirations Remain Just That
A recent rezoning led to high economic hopes for downtown Brooklyn. But a more recent economic downturn seems to have undermined those expectations. Indeed, some growth has occurred, but success depends on whom you ask.
Proposal Dreams of New York Development Connecting Island to Mainland
The Center for Urban Real Estate unveiled a proposal to connect Lower Manhattan and Governors Island with landfill to spur development in the area. The connection would generate $16.7 billion of revenue for the city, the center estimates.
Rejected Developer Keeps Fighting County to Build
Developer Gerald Friedman is incredulous that county commissioners won't let him rezone his property in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
Outside Interests Spell Change for Harlem
An influx of chain stores and new development in Harlem has many residents worried about retaining the historical character of the nation's so-called "African American 'Main-Street.'" Not everybody minds the changes though.
A Lot of Rezoning, But Little Growth
A new report from the Furman Center finds that the effect of the 100+ rezonings under the Bloomberg administration is minimal, with upzonings and downzonings almost canceling each other out.
Controversial Rezoning in Harlem, A Year Later
Controversy surrounded the 125th St. Rezoning, which locals thought would cause rampant gentrification. One year later, little has changed.
Going to the Races
Locals are concerned that a real estate development approved to replace Hollywood Park, one of California's few remaining thoroughbred racetracks, will be underused in this housing crisis.
Buffing Up The Bronx
City planners are rezoning an area of the Bronx known for auto shops and storage units to try to create a new bustling neighborhood like SoHo.
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.
Caltrans
Smith Gee Studio
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
