Telling the Story of Cities
Each Friday, the Wagner Planner editorial board will publish a news roundup of recent planning news. Topics range the gamut of urban planning concentrations, but will mostly be at the discretion of the editors. Brendan’s Picks Parking Study: Scooter Scofflaws Far Outnumbered by Car Scofflaws ““Scooter clutter” has been a concern amplified by media reports… Read more What We’re Reading (3/6)
By: Lauren Roland In late February, New York Supreme Court Justice W. Frank Perry ruled that 200 Amsterdam, a luxury condo construction project on the Upper West Side should have their construction permits revoked (Tannenhauser, 2020). The current zoning lot of the building was cobbled together through surrounding lots, which opponents of 200 Amsterdam say… Read more Construction Permits for Luxury Condo Revoked
By: Lauren Roland With market rate rents rising in every major city, the lower and middle class are finding it harder than ever to find affordable housing. Affordable housing lotteries, while good in theory, receive thousands of applications for a small fraction of available units. Hundreds of rent stabilized units become deregulated every year thanks… Read more It’s Time to Take on the Landlords
By: Lauren Roland In 2014, Mayor De Blasio pledged to rezone 15 neighborhoods within the five boroughs as part of his affordable housing plan (Richardson 2014). These neighborhoods included East New York, East Harlem, Inwood, Midtown East, Jerome Ave, Bay Street and Downtown Far Rockaway, among others (NYC Mayor’s Office). Rezoning these neighborhoods was supposed… Read more In Gentrifying NYC, Effects of Rezonings Not Monitored
By: Katherine Rivard In the fall of 2019, the New York Times published an article about how Colombia, Rwanda, and Croatia have rebranded themselves, transforming from wartorn countries to blossoming centers of tourism. And while these transformations have indeed taken place, the Times misplaced its praise for the improvements. Beaches and wildlife refuges as well… Read more How to Rebrand a Country: Look to Its Cities