Chris Otten says change doesn't come from "being nice to decision makers," so he's comfortable being confrontational with developers and City Council members he sees as taking advantage of the poor.
Chris Otten calls himself a "civic agent," Washington, D.C. developers have called him an extortionist. If he's an extortionist, he's not a rich one: "A law school dropout who subsists on food stamps and an $800 monthly stipend from Ralph Nader, Otten, 42, touts himself as a "citizen agent" who uses his knowledge of the municipal code to oppose development projects; one builder agreed to pay $2 million to halt his resistance," Paul Schwartzman writes for The Washington Post.
That $2 million didn't go right into Otten's pocket but rather to a non-profit neighborhood organization dedicated to affordable housing and small businesses. But developers complain that Otten's consistent zoning complaints keep market rate and affordable housing from being built.
FULL STORY: Is this champion disrupter of D.C. development a crusader or an extortionist?
To Build More Housing, Cities Must Be Smarter in How They Use Land
How strategic land use policy decisions can alleviate the housing crisis and limit unsustainable sprawl.
Downtown L.A. Sees Vacancies Rise and Homeless Populations Grow
There's plenty of housing available in Downtown L.A. for the wealthy but, while those apartments sit empty, many looking for housing find costs too high to pay.
Tiny House Movement Pushing the Boundaries of Traditional Zoning
Tiny Houses on trailers are available and buyers are ready to live small, but most zoning regulations don’t allow recreational vehicles as a permanent residence. Can zoning catch up to the tiny living trend?
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