Noozhawk’s Post

Does verifying zoning on a site you’d love to open up your dream business on, or getting a certificate of occupancy from Big City Development Services, feel like you’re running down hallways screaming, “Help?” We’re here to help you solve the mystery of municipal processes! See that little letter below the pic? Click on it, send this post back to me, and let’s talk! #landuse #cityplanning #mysterysolved

The public realm needs to become that. More public. More accessible and an example of what we want to see in our cities.

What are Special Purpose Districts? A Conversation with George Janes April 2, 2024 6:00 p.m. Via Zoom Co-Sponsored by Landmark West!   In examining the proposed City of Yes zoning text amendments, the question has been raised about how City of Yes will impact the many Special Purpose Districts across the city. But what is a Special Purpose District and how do they help preserve unique community character?    The City Planning Commission has been designating these districts since 1969 to achieve specific planning and urban design objectives. These districts can also be seen as preservation tools in protecting specific streetscape characteristics but also zoning uses such as specific commercial corridors. Ranging from the Hillsides Preservation District of Staten Island to the Special Grand Concourse District of the Bronx, these tools are important, but not always well understood.      Join this online conversation with zoning expert George Janes where he explains the history of special districts in New York and how these can be used as a tool for neighborhood preservation, especially with the proposed changes coming from the City of Yes proposals. Friend of HDC / Senior $5; General Admission $10 https://lnkd.in/eS8GegpA

Often times people can’t describe what it is they love about the community they live in or are visiting, or for that matter what attracts small businesses and entrepreneurs. There can be a lot of factors, but a big one that is not as noticeable is when leaders work to focus on people first, and the walkability of their downtowns and commercial districts. Encouraging and building for other modes of transportation into and within a downtown district are also important, whether public transit or bikes etc. — getting away from a car centric state of mind. In the end, thinking about walkability in the day and evening increases safety, accessibility, helps people re/discover their downtown community, which can also allow people to explore more, stay longer and support and bolster their local economy. It’s one step (of many!) in the right direction. ☺️

⚠️ Consultation is under way as part of a ‘Living Streets’ initiative to explore how to improve the general environment and accessibility within residential areas of Castletown. Isle of Man Department of Infrastructure Highway Services is asking for people’s views as part of the process, which aims to create streets and places that are easy to move around, are safe and community-based. 📝 Feedback can be provided through an online survey available until Tuesday 21 January on the Isle of Man Government consultation hub: https://lnkd.in/eGTbDiF2 Views are essential in drafting a design that will address the needs of the community. 🗨️ Areas contributors may wish to consider could include: • Reducing non-essential traffic using the area as a shortcut • Making some roads/streets one-way • Making it easier for people to walk, wheel and cycle • Slowing down traffic • Improving on-road parking 🧑🤝🧑Two drop-in sessions will be held next month to enable people to express their views in person. They will take place at Castletown Civic Centre on: Wednesday 13 November, between 10am and midday; and Thursday 21 November between 2pm and 4pm.

🤩 New Event: Excluded: How Snob Zoning, NIMBYism, and Class Bias Build the Walls We Don't See. Date: Tuesday, June 11 Time: 7-8 pm Location: Zoom (register here: https://lnkd.in/eMWyfvRV) As Cambridge begins the conversation on zoning changes that would eliminate single-family-housing-only neighborhoods and allow multi-family housing to be built city-wide, attend this very timely zoom webinar with Prof. Richard D. Kahlenberg, sponsored by A Better Cambridge (ABC) and Abundant Housing MA (AHMA). He will be discussing his recent book "Excluded: How Snob Zoning, NIMBYism, and Class Bias Build the Walls We Don't See." Learn how exclusionary snob zoning makes housing unaffordable, frustrates the goals of the civil rights movement, and locks in inequality in our urban and suburban landscapes. Register for the Zoom meeting with the link above, and please suggest any questions to ask in the event here:https://lnkd.in/eBthdxdU.

Pittsburgh: The City of Bridges Affectionately known as the “City of Bridges,” Pittsburgh boasts 446 bridges. Long before the majestic bridges soared above the Three Rivers, Pittsburgh was a rugged terrain of deep valleys, creeks, and rivers, isolating many of the city’s residents. When the first European settlers arrived in the 1700s, they had to cross streams and climb steep hillsides just to travel around the region. To overcome these challenges, the settlers built wooden bridges to connect newly constructed roadways and span the rivers and valleys. Read More >>> https://lnkd.in/evny3kNj #ShannonConstruction #Construction #ConstructionNews #ConstructionIndustry #ConstructionManagement #DesignBuild #Constructor #GeneralContractor #Contractor #Contractors #LEED #GreenBuilding #Buildings #Architecture #GeneralConstruction #ConstructionSafety #ConstructionCareers #MarylandConstruction #WashingtonDCConstruction #PittsburghConstruction #PAConstruction #GovernmentConstruction #VisionforGrowth

"Instead, restorative urbanism should be thought of as a concept about rebuilding community bonds through the ideas of urbanism. In essence that is what New Urbanism is about: building people-focused places that enhance community (among many other things). Restorative urbanism is complex, nuanced, and collaborative"

Chandler is now another example, like California's recent action, where cities are seeing a need to expedite and facilitate adaptive re-use of existing buildings, particularly office buildings, preferably into residential buildings. California and Chandler are not alone in this drive. This drive acknowledges the need for housing, the availability of under-used buildings, and the cost savings in using existing infrastructure, with the bonus of bringing life back into these city centers. But this is only one step in the process. Building code revisions also need to be made to more easily facilitate, not only the re-use of buildings, but possibly new buildings that would be feasible on a single urban lot. Change of use code regulations push existing buildings to conformance to new codes. While the intent is good, practicality requires more flexibility. Adoption of single stair buildings to replace some of these existing buildings, that would be more expensive to renovate, and be less safe, is one option. There are other options to allow these areas to become centers of life and address the need for housing. Creativity in processes and building codes is a must. Together we can make feasible and safe places for people to live.

More housing in South Charlotte…..also more traffic. There is always a constant balance of pros and cons in development.