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  • Saturday, September 16, 2017 5:03 PM | Daphne Politis (Administrator)

    Rather than fading in the age of the internet and digital media, libraries are taking on an even stronger role in community life, bringing together diverse populations and providing access not only to books, but also to offerings as varied as recording studios that let patrons use musical instruments and conversation tables that help immigrants strengthen their language skills. Cafés, coffee bars, lounges, exhibition spaces, and plazas encourage gathering, and expanded children’s areas and teen rooms draw younger people for studying, games, and other activities.

    The following ten projects—all completed during the past five years—include facilities that strengthen pedestrian links to waterfronts, renovated buildings that open up interiors to views and daylight, a JCPenney store converted into a library and community center, and the refurbishment of a 1960s library that spans a river.

    https://urbanland.uli.org/planning-design/ulx-10-libraries-community-hubs/?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=group&utm_campaign=magazine

  • Saturday, September 16, 2017 3:54 PM | Daphne Politis (Administrator)

    Seeking Your Proposals for NPC18

    The APA Private Practice Division Invites Your Conference Proposals for the 2018 National Planning Conference in New Orleans! The session proposal portal closes on August 31. 


    A Change for 2018

    APA has changed the role of Divisions in NPC session selection. Traditionally, all Divisions were automatically granted one by-right and one facilitated discussion that each Division submitted to APA. For 2018, Divisions will no longer have ‘guaranteed’ sessions. Instead, all sessions will go into the general conference session proposal pool for evaluation. Division members have been invited to participate in the Division evaluation process, which is APA’s new mechanism for including membership in shaping the content of the conference.

    Session Proposal:
    The Private Side of Public Work

    Call for NPC16 Session Speakers


    Have you ever noticed how the media portrays the relationship between the public and private sectors? It is often black-or-white. Either government is bad or government contracts are bad.

       

    We all know that there is more to the story. The relationship between the public and private sectors is many-faceted and complex. And, it deserves a more nuanced conversation. 

    Based on the podcast The Private Side of Public Work with host Ingrid Heilke,
    this conference panel offers a new angle on the dynamic relationship between private business and public-facing work. This will be a live-action version of the podcast.

    If you are interested in participating as a panelist, please fill out this form today and send an email to Ingrid@privatesideofpublic.work.

    NPC18 | New Orleans | April 21-24

    Play a Part in Next Year's Premier Planning Event

    APA's National Planning Conference is a first-class event that brings together thousands of planners, planning commissioners, appointed and elected officials, and students. Whether your goal is to contribute expertise and help drive change in the field of planning, learn from your peers and adopt new practices, or connect with like-minded planners who are solving everyday challenges similar to yours, make plans now to join APA in New Orleans.

  • Thursday, August 17, 2017 4:51 PM | Leonardi Aray (Administrator)

    https://www.facebook.com/events/471970339838677/

  • Thursday, August 17, 2017 4:49 PM | Leonardi Aray (Administrator)

    https://www.planetizen.com/node/93891?utm_source=newswire&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news-07272017

  • Thursday, August 17, 2017 4:46 PM | Leonardi Aray (Administrator)

    http://www.massmarpa.org/recreational-marijuana

  • Thursday, August 17, 2017 4:44 PM | Leonardi Aray (Administrator)

    Southie Edison plant project underscores region’s transit woes

    The old Boston Edison power plant in South Boston is the latest example of the projects that are reshaping Greater Boston — big developments packed with housing just a short commute to downtown.

    But with nearly 1,600 housing units, the 15-acre redevelopment also underscores a growing concern that the building boom will overwhelm city streets and mass transit.

    Redgate and Hilco Redevelopment Partners estimate that their 2.1-million-square-foot mix of residential, retail, and office space would generate an additional 10,000 vehicle trips a day in that corner of South Boston once it is completed, likely more than a decade from now.

    The developers also anticipate many new residents will rely on public transit, as they plan to have only about 700 parking spaces allocated for housing — fewer than one space for every two units.

    “The buses are absolutely jam-packed every day,” said Donna Brown, executive director of the South Boston Neighborhood Development Corp. “Where do you put more transportation options? They have to come up with that answer.”

    Read the full story at BostonGlobe.com.


  • Thursday, August 17, 2017 4:33 PM | Leonardi Aray (Administrator)

    The latest in a series of "walkshops," Envision Cambridge presents a walking tour of Central Square and Riverside. How has this area changed over time and how is it evolving today? How have urban planning decisions affected the development and mobility options along this corridor? The tour will explore how policies and planning have shaped Massachusetts Avenue and the surrounding areas, with particular emphasis on urban form, housing, and mobility.

    Participants will meet at 5:30 p.m. at Carl Barron Plaza (the open space on the southeast corner of Mass Ave and Propect Street). Members of the Envision Cambridge consultant team and Community Development Department staff will lead the tour. The walk will be approximately 1 mile and 1.5 hours.

    Please register to reserve your spot in the walkshop 


  • Thursday, July 06, 2017 3:18 PM | Daphne Politis (Administrator)
    "In virtually every major urban real estate market, a major determinant of rent and housing prices is accessibility.  If you live in a dense, walkable urban neighborhood, you might manage to live quite comfortably not owning a car, or having just one car for a two-worker family. If you live on the exurban edge, in a low density subdivision, you might need to own multiple cars just to manage the daily chores of school, shopping and play, as well as commuting to work. It turns out that the value of accessibility gets priced in to the walkable, well-located housing; and conversely, rental and for sale housing that’s located at a distance from everything is priced at a discount to the market."

    https://www.citylab.com/equity/2017/06/the-problem-with-how-we-measure-affordable-housing/531378/

  • Wednesday, June 28, 2017 3:16 PM | Daphne Politis (Administrator)

    "German house prices in 2012 represented a 10 percent decrease in real terms compared to thirty years ago. That is a particularly astounding performance compared to the UK, where real prices rose by more than 230 percent in the same period. "

    https://www.forbes.com/sites/eamonnfingleton/2014/02/02/in-worlds-best-run-economy-home-prices-just-keep-falling-because-thats-what-home-prices-are-supposed-to-do/#3a9260906ad0

  • Wednesday, June 28, 2017 3:13 PM | Daphne Politis (Administrator)

    "No one warns you that everything is more concentrated in a tiny house, that the natural life cycle of objects accelerates..."

    https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/02/realestate/what-no-one-ever-tells-you-about-tiny-homes.html?mc=aud_dev&mcid=fb-nytimes&mccr=JuneMC910&mcdt=2017-06&subid=JuneMC910&ad-keywords=AudDevGate

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