Raleigh’s highly promoted public information sessions about Missing Middle Housing rules got off to a rocky start last Wednesday evening, being held a year and a half late, after the city’s neighborhood densification rules began going into effect.
Can Free Bus Fares Fix Raleigh’s Broken System?
Council’s upcoming decision to either keep or eliminate Raleigh’s COVID-era free bus fares has been framed as making an important statement about Raleigh’s commitment to high quality and equitable bus service. Maybe so, but if you listen to the Raleigh Transit Authority’s Nov 10 deliberations on the topic, you might conclude that reinstating fees will have little impact on a system that is in decline and without an effective plan to provide high quality and equitable transit services in post-COVID Raleigh.
Bob Geary in the Indy: In the Raleigh Elections, I’m Voting for Growth AND Equity. Not Growth Without Equity.
The first camp favors letting the market work without regulation, arguing that it will serve rich and poor alike – but knowing that it won’t – while the second camp favors using the powers of city zoning to assure that growth occurs and serves the interests of all.
Will missing middle housing be affordable?
Former Planning Commission Chair Bob Mulder highlights the need to improve Raleigh’s missing middle housing rules. Focusing debates on criticisms of pro and con stakeholders only diverts attention from what we all (except the greediest) agree on: Adding density in the right places is good, but the missing middle rules should be improved – with a more open, public engagement process about how to actually retain, replace and produce housing that’s affordable to current working families and households.
We need leaders, not developer talking heads
When our urban forests are gone, our streams are flooding from overgrowth, and Raleigh is one huge Urban Heat Island, Missing Middle Text politics will not save us.
Increasing density without building the support infrastructure serves only the development industry
Council’s sledgehammer efforts at planning have been both thoughtless and undisciplined. Density does not improve quality of life or lower housing prices.
City of Raleigh losing trees at an alarming rate
Your relentless drive to spread density everywhere is going to be the death knell for the remaining urban forests in our older subdivisions. You are riding the crest of the tree removal wave, as well as the steady progression towards increased traffic gridlock.
Another housing option?
After calling Richmond, Boston, Southern California and New Jersey/New York home during a financial services career, Bill Dix arrived in Raleigh 35 years ago. By far the most congenial place they’ve ever lived, he wants to keep it that way. Active for over two decades...
Raleigh beware: how greed turns good intentions into urban disasters
Bob Mulder, former Chair Raleigh Planning Commission recently wrote to the City Council about density: The comments and photos below are from my brother in Portland, Oregon. Letter from Portland Three adjacent buildings with no parking. One slab sided with no windows:...
May 10 Council and Committee meetings round-up
Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of Z-67-21, located at the intersections of I-440 at Lassiter Mill Road and Lassiter Mill Road at Six Forks Road. This despite strong concerns expressed by area residents concerning the impact on fire safety, traffic,...