It’s Raining It’s Pouring
I thank the City for the Rainwater Rewards program that helps citizens remove impervious surfaces or install rain gardens, to reduce runoff. I have walked the walk: I have removed three driveways from properties I have owned, and removed tons of concrete from the back yards of two other properties. Please direct staff to update our development rules, and create financial penalties per square foot of impervious surface. There are alternatives: driveway strips, permeable pavers, grill blocks, or even gravel.
Restoring CACs to their Unique & Historic Role
As far back as the Council Retreat in January 2024, the one thing that was requested to properly restore CACs was to get a seat at the table. The intent was to meet with all City departments that had a role in restoring some of the privileges that CACs had before they were suspended in 2020. To date, that has not happened.
Putting your thumb on the scale is WRONG!
The developer was claiming the site is in a Transit Station Area based on an outdated map, a false claim. Now, City Staff has joined with the applicant in making false claims. The Planning Commission did nothing to question this. City Council, it is left up to you to seek out the truth.
2025 Fall Fundraiser
Join us on Sept 7 to hear two of Raleigh’s most important leaders discuss Strengthening Community Voices and Expanding Affordable Housing. Plan to attend our fundraiser and get a chance to see inside Raleigh’s most iconic Victorian home. If you rely on the kind of...
August 19, 2025 City Council Meetings
Highlights from August 19, 2025 City Council Work Session and Afternoon Meeting
We’re on BlueSky and We’re Leaving X
Livable Raleigh is on Bluesky and We’re leaving X. @livableraleigh.bsky.social
Missing Middle’s Biggest Mistakes
Slot homes deliver Low Livability/Bad Neighborhood Form. Livability relates to quality of life for both those living within the new homes, as well as livability of adjacent homes. It is important for cities to prohibit these. Raleigh’s Missing Middle makes this number 1 mistake. You can see it in the Woodcrest neighborhood whose residents brought the issue to the City Council’s attention over a year ago.
A Bad Day for Midtown and the City of Raleigh
I listened and watched the transportation presentation with the expectation of hearing the options to bring this project within budget. That is what I had been told for the last six months. I was wrong again on all counts. With a Council primed to go on summer hiatus, Council made a decision that will haunt this Council for many years to come – cancelling the Six Forks Road Improvement project. I tried to speak before that decision was made, as some of you saw, but I was denied.
Raleigh plummets in “Best Places to Live” rankings
Raleigh was a perennial top 10 city when only being compared against other large cities in the Best Places to Live rankings. But, when the candidate pool was expanded most larger cities performed poorly. It seems smaller cities are more popular than large, dense, urban, vibrant locales. And, the difference isn’t due to cost of living or even traffic concerns. It’s quality of life.
Guidelines for Deciding Rezoning Cases
Livable Raleigh calls on City Council to reform their approach to rezoning applications. Raleigh’s Comprehensive Plan, if followed, offers a clear path to sustainable, equitable growth.