Following the success of Planning to Grow Akron, spurring the development of thousands of housing units in the previously stagnant city, Planning to Grow Akron 2.0 will leverage federal stimulus funds to further stabilize the city's housing market.
Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan announced a new housing strategy, called Planning to Grow Akron 2.0, this week, reports Doug Livingston.
"Planning to Grow Akron 2.0 — an update on the first version from 2017 — promises a lot: better housing code enforcement, stiffer fines for absentee landlords, smoother zoning and permitting processes, a landlord-tenant council, a comprehensive strategy for homelessness by 2022, and a ranking by condition of all 84,000 residential structures in the city."
"Central to the plan, though, is a commitment to revitalize housing in what post-industrial, Midwestern cities like Akron are calling 'middle neighborhoods,'" adds Livingston.
Mayor Horrigan is proposing an expenditure of $20 million, a portion of the $153 million awarded the city through the American Rescue Act, to go toward housing in the city.
According to the article, the Planning to Grow Akron 2.0 plan is the second major housing initiative proposed by Mayor Horrigan. The first Planning to Grow Akron plan "exempted property taxes for new residential construction anywhere in the city for 15 years. Developers have since pounced on these residential tax abatements, which couldn’t be more aggressively structured under Ohio law."
According to an analysis included in this week's updated housing strategy, the effect of the first Planning to Grow Akron plan has been tremendous: "Before Horrigan took office, Akron was averaging less than 20 new home permits a year. There are now 1,800 housing units being planned, under construction or completed."
FULL STORY: Updated housing strategy goes after bad landlords, focuses on struggling neighborhoods
New Downtown Master Plan for Danville, California
The city of Danville, located along the Easy Bay Area’s I-680 corridor, last week approved a new master plan for its downtown, with funding for implementation made possible by the American Rescue Plan Act.
'American Jobs Plan': Potential Sea Change for Federal Infrastructure Spending
After a week of speculation and rumor, the Biden administration today revealed its promised infrastructure plan.
Placemaking Redefined by a New Era of Federal Investment
Six tips for ensuring that new placed-based funding programs, such as the Build Back Better Regional Challenge, achieve the full potential of a new era of place-based federal investment.
Analysis: Cybertruck Fatality Rate Far Exceeds That of Ford Pinto
The Tesla Cybertruck was recalled seven times last year.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.
Test News Post 1
This is a summary
Analysis: Cybertruck Fatality Rate Far Exceeds That of Ford Pinto
The Tesla Cybertruck was recalled seven times last year.
Test News Headline 46
Test for the image on the front page.
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.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service