Yesterday, the Los Angeles City Planning Commission approved a landmark specific plan that is notable as much for what it doesn't include as what it does.
James Brasuell reports on the hubbub over the Cornfield Arroyo Seco Specific Plan [PDF], a document that lays out the path for transforming an underutilized industrial area north of Downtown into "a cluster of mixed-use pedestrian oriented and aesthetically pleasing neighborhoods."
"Most notable among the plan's ballyhooed innovations: a complete lack of parking requirements--neither minimums nor maximums," says Brasuell. "Just so we're perfectly clear: this is the first plan of any kind in the city of Los Angeles that does not include parking requirements."
"City Planner Claire Bowin told Curbed today that the lack of parking requirements will allow developers to 'minimize the amount of parking for specific projects,' given the neighborhood's proximity to transit, the changing culture of Los Angeles, and the declining need for parking... The effect, says Bowin, will be to 'let the market decide' how much parking is needed and where."
The plan for the four new zoning districts - Urban Village, Urban Center, Urban Innovation, and Greenway - seeks to retain light industrial uses in the area, while adding residential (with incentivized affordable housing), commercial, and retail uses. For the purposes of the plan's EIR, development in the area has been projected to attract more than 25,000 additional residents by 2035.
FULL STORY: No Parking Required in Mixed-Use Plan For Cornfield Area
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.
Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.
Test News Post 1
This is a summary
Test News Headline 46
Test for the image on the front page.
Balancing Bombs and Butterflies: How the National Guard Protects a Rare Species
The National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap uses GIS technology and land management strategies to balance military training with conservation efforts, ensuring the survival of the rare eastern regal fritillary butterfly.
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