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We’re on BlueSky

We’re on BlueSky

Livable Raleigh is on Bluesky. @livableraleigh.bsky.social

It’s our Birthday! We’re Five Years Old

It’s our Birthday! We’re Five Years Old

Livable Raleigh published our first blog five years ago on February 17, 2020. Just like any other five-year-old, we can’t wait to grow even bigger. So, we’re combining a “FUND-RAISER” with a “FRIEND-RAISER” as our birthday celebration. If you rely on the kind of information you are only able to find through Livable Raleigh, we need your help to grow. Tell all your friends just what a valuable source of information we are.

INDY Best of 2025 – Wake County – Nominations are OPEN

INDY Best of 2025 – Wake County – Nominations are OPEN

The nominations for INDY’s Best of 2025 Wake County are open until February 28. You only have a few days to get your choices in. We hope you will consider nominating us again this year as “Best Local Activist Group” in Wake County

Democracy depends on the voices of citizens

Democracy depends on the voices of citizens

I stand before you today because democracy depends on the voices of its citizens, and public comment is one of the most direct ways we, the people, can engage with our local government. The proposal to limit public comment time is not just about minutes on a clock—it’s about the fundamental principle of representation.

King Charles neighborhood in Southeast Raleigh is dinged by City Council

King Charles neighborhood in Southeast Raleigh is dinged by City Council

King Charles NCOD stands as an example of responsible urban planning, balancing growth with livability. Destroying it in favor of unchecked development will result in irreversible damage to its character, community, and environment. The city must seek smarter solutions that protect Raleigh’s legacy while ensuring sustainable growth.

Wildfire! Could it happen here?

Wildfire! Could it happen here?

The recent devastation of Los Angeles and the periodic destruction of property elsewhere in California and the western states begs the question — could it happen in Raleigh?

Speak Out Regarding Public Comments

Speak Out Regarding Public Comments

Public Comments at City Council meetings are the one unique opportunity to address the full city council and have your concerns heard by the other residents in attendance and those watching the livestream in real time or the video at a later more convenient time. Council wants to cut them back by 2/3. Tell them NO!

Raleigh’s budget is a blueprint for our lives

Raleigh’s budget is a blueprint for our lives

Our city’s budget is far more than just a financial ledger—it’s a blueprint for our lives and futures. It shapes the services we depend on every day, from police and fire protection that ensure our safety, to public transportation that keeps us connected, and parks and green spaces that enrich our quality of life.

Mayor Cowell: “It’s going to take focus, attention and every tool in the toolbox.”

Mayor Cowell: “It’s going to take focus, attention and every tool in the toolbox.”

Day two of Council’s annual retreat kicks off on January 25th with a discussion of affordable housing. It will be interesting to see if Mayor Cowell can convince her fellow Councilors to move beyond the kinds of fuzzy math that has concealed the real size and causes of Raleigh’s affordable housing crisis. Effective solutions will be fact-based, data driven and will reform current growth rules that promote the loss of five thousand affordable units each year.

Be strong, be resolute, preserve Raleigh’s cultural resources

Be strong, be resolute, preserve Raleigh’s cultural resources

Raleigh finds itself on lists of superlatives, and one factor that places us there consistently is our collective effort to maintain the character of our fair city through preservation of our historic landscapes, land use patterns, architecture and rich cultural heritage.

Make sure they fund the things that matter

Make sure they fund the things that matter

Attending the city’s budget listening sessions was more informative than just how the budget is created. It showed people have a lot to say. They have a lot they care about. Of these things, the 3 that kept coming up were Affordable Housing, Transportation, and Public Safety.

The Attack on Single-Family Zoning

The Attack on Single-Family Zoning

I have experience valuing homes that are next to duplexes, fourplexes and apartment buildings; I see what’s happening in these neighborhoods. Once zoning is changed from single-family to multi-family, developers move in and start competing against families for older homes. Unfortunately, the builder always wins because they have more money and are willing to pay cash. Homes, perfect for a starter family or in need of being rehabbed will be purchased by a developer who will tear the house down to make way for a new multi-unit building on a small 5,000-square-foot site. (It’s called the highest and best use of the land). The moment construction starts, the value of a nice condition single-family home next door goes down; the appraisal term is called external obsolescence. Welcome to capitalism in America.

Every Resident Has a Stake in the Comp Plan Update

Every Resident Has a Stake in the Comp Plan Update

The city is starting to write a new Comprehensive Plan, When adopted, it will replace the current 2030 Comp Plan, which was adopted in 2013 after several years of public input and dialogue. What is a Comp Plan? It’s a set of policies meant to guide every decision made by city leaders.

Time to Prioritize People in the City Budget

Time to Prioritize People in the City Budget

Community engagement for the 2025 / 2026 Raleigh Budget has started. I attended the first virtual session in December, not October, thinking that they would actually engage with the audience. Instead, input was gathered through a number of questions, rather than an informative session and discussion with the public to gather more information about resident priorities and needs. My session had a well educated audience, yet little time was afforded for actual public input.