Development
Streetsblog Basics
Land Use Process Likely Safe in Charter Revision, But Major Issues Simmer
Former Staten Island Council Member Stephen Fiala defends the role of borough presidents in land use decision-making. Image: SI Advance. The city’s Charter Revision Commission held its fifth issue forum last night, discussing the city’s complex land use process. Based on the commentary of a panel of expert witnesses, a major revision of the city’s … Continued
June 25, 2010
Bloomberg Touts Approval of 1,600 Parking Spaces at Flushing Commons
The City Planning Commission approved plans for the Flushing Commons development yesterday, sending the project forward through the land use approval process. Officials' portrayals of this development, which will put 1,600 parking spaces in the middle of a transit-rich downtown, put the city's tortured relationship with transit-oriented development into perfect perspective.
June 24, 2010
New Domino Drops 266 Parking Spaces. How Low Can It Go?
How few parking spaces should be attached to new developments to make New York a more sustainable city?
June 14, 2010
Dodd’s Livability Bill Earns Praise from Local Governments
With financial reform nearly complete, the Senate Banking Committee turned its attention today to one of Senator Chris Dodd's (D-CT) next priorities, the Livable Communities Act. Local government came out strong for the initiative to promote sustainable and integrated regional planning, with representatives of the nation's cities, towns, counties, and regional planning organizations testifying in favor. Among committee members, concerns persisted about whether the bill would disadvantage rural areas.
June 9, 2010
How Portland Sold Its Banks on Walkable Development
Gresham, Oregon used to look like your typical suburb. Lots of lawns and lots of parking. When Portland's MAX light-rail line expanded to Gresham, developers saw an opportunity to bring something different: walkable development. But a downturn in the local real estate market interceded. One developer trying to build a four-story condo project decided that he'd be better off with a video store surrounded by surface parking.
May 25, 2010
At First Riverside Center Hearing, Planning Commission Quiet on Parking
The City Planning Commission certified Extell Development's parking-filled Riverside Center proposal yesterday afternoon, setting in motion the city's land use review process. Certification is more about completing paperwork than rendering judgment, but the discussion of the proposal did offer a few clues about which aspects of the three-million square foot project are front and center in the minds of planning commissioners.
May 25, 2010
Major Test for Parking Reform Shaping Up on Manhattan’s West Side
Are New York City's planning commissioners serious about parking reform? An important test case is shaping up on Manhattan's west side, where Extell Development is trying to build 1,800 parking
spaces in an area the size of two city blocks.
May 24, 2010
Will Robert Lieber’s Successor Finally Fill the Gaps in PlaNYC 2030?
City Hall has another big vacancy to fill. This morning the Bloomberg administration announced that Robert Lieber, deputy mayor for economic development, is returning to the private sector. Lieber's portfolio includes the New York City Economic Development Corporation and the Department of City Planning. His departure could create a window of opportunity to fill some of the biggest gaps in the city's sustainability agenda, PlaNYC 2030.
May 19, 2010
Advocates: New Parking Requirements Make Housing More Expensive
Reforming New York City parking policy is a critical component of reducing automobile use and building better public spaces. It's becoming increasingly clear that rethinking how we store cars can help address New York City's housing crisis as well. Requiring parking not only creates traffic, it also prevents housing from being built and drives up prices.
May 6, 2010
Brooklyn CB 1, CM Levin, Beep All Demand Less Parking at New Domino
In an unusual turn of events, two Brooklyn politicians and one community board are pushing for less off-street parking at the New Domino development proposed for the Williamsburg waterfront. City Council Member Steve Levin and Borough President Marty Markowitz have recently bolstered a resolution from CB 1 calling for hundreds of fewer parking spaces.
April 30, 2010