Suburban Skylines: One tech suburb’s struggle to grow and keep its character

The fight over housing affordability and density in Cupertino captures the struggle for the soul of suburban America. Cupertino, California is in some sense, not special at all. It’s a classic postwar suburb with leafy subdivisions of single-family homes connected by arterial roads and freeways and a population of  60,000 people. An hour south of… Read more Suburban Skylines: One tech suburb’s struggle to grow and keep its character

Posted on by Calley Wang

Reopening subway station bathrooms is the right move, but the MTA can do more

The MTA should commit more resources to maintaining bathrooms’ cleanliness and to improving nonexistent wayfinding to help bathrooms succeed. As recently as early last year, the MTA’s subway bathrooms were “not a priority” for the agency. Since then, they have reversed course and reopened bathrooms in nine stations as of January 2023 and announced that… Read more Reopening subway station bathrooms is the right move, but the MTA can do more

Posted on by Edwin Jeng

What We’re Reading – April 4th

Here’s what the Wagner Planner staff is reading. This week: a decades-long battle in the East Village continues, suburban evictions (and an eviction-crime link), plus progress on congestion pricing.  In Epic Battle for CHARAS/El Bohio Building, Owner Gregg Singer Buys Time With Bankruptcy Filing (THE CITY) – “At the first auction in 1998, activists were… Read more What We’re Reading – April 4th

Posted on by Manal Bawazir

Harlem Organizers are Building Their Own Criteria for Development

As part of the Harlem Is Not For Sale movement, organizers are rejecting the typical income thresholds for their own affordable housing demands. Under the metal gas station canopy, the winter breeze intensifies on a calm Saturday afternoon in late January. A small crowd of about 50 people gather, holding signs and speaking into megaphones… Read more Harlem Organizers are Building Their Own Criteria for Development

Posted on by Manal Bawazir

Governor Hochul’s proposed Housing Compact would be transformative – but it’s at risk

Legislators ought to support the proposal, rather than water it down, and actually tackle the housing crisis New York governor Kathy Hochul’s ambitious “New York Housing Compact” proposal is at risk of being gutted during the state budget negotiation process. Earlier this month, the New York State Assembly and Senate each released their own budget… Read more Governor Hochul’s proposed Housing Compact would be transformative – but it’s at risk

Posted on by Andrew DeFrank