Here is a complete blip.tv video of a meeting last night between residents of Edwards Square and Ned Huntley, director of the Northampton Department of Public Works. The meeting was hosted by Ward 3 City Councilor Angela Plassmann. It took place in a conference room at ServiceNet. Residents expressed concern about the condition of the road, parking […]
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Governing: “Growing America: Demographics and Destiny”
Planetizen is a reliable collector of fascinating articles on urban planning and design. This week they pointed us to this article in Governing by Joel Kotkin. Some excerpts: Growing America: Demographics and Destiny Over the next four decades, American governments will oversee a much larger and far more diverse population. As we gain upward of 100 million people, […]
Video: Zoning Revisions Discusses Making Core Urban Neighborhoods More “Conforming”, More Dense
Here is a 7-minute YouTube excerpt from last night’s meeting of the Zoning Revisions Committee, recorded by Adam Cohen. It is observed that in zoning district Urban Residential C (URC)–the dense neighborhoods surrounding downtown Northampton–perhaps 40% of the existing single-family homes are “non-conforming”, and the percentage for multi-family homes is even higher. These homes don’t meet today’s zoning requirements […]
Christian Science Monitor: “How to plan better for New England floods”
The April 3 Christian Science Monitor uses the occasion of the recent flooding along the New England coast to look at climate trends: How to plan better for New England floods As flood waters recede in rain-soaked New England, March’s record-smashing storms highlight the need for planners in the region to place an increased emphasis […]
Springfield Republican: “Northeast seeing more, fiercer rainstorms in line with global warming predictions, study says”
In 2007, the Northampton City Council approved a new Wetlands Ordinance that, in the name of infill, encourages developers to encroach closer to wetlands in many in-town locations. Climate-wise, this move is badly timed, as the frequency and severity of “precipitation events” in Massachusetts is on the rise. The April 5 Republican reports: The Northeast is seeing more […]
Zoning Revisions Committee Releases Synthesis of Comments from March 17 Forum
Northampton’s Zoning Revisions Committee has released a synthsis of comments from its public forum on March 17. Download the full-size PDF. See the slides from the forum. See the video. The committee will next meet on April 7, 7-9pm in City Hall Room 10 (second floor, enter via the back door). See also: Video and Slides: Joel Russell […]
Video: Rezoning Northampton for a Sustainable Future – March 17 Public Forum
Here is a blip.tv video from the March 17 public forum organized by the Zoning Revisions Committee. This video is 1 hour 7 minutes long and was recorded by Lachlan Ziegler. Download a PDF of the slides from the presentation. The Zoning Revisions Committee will discuss the results of the forum at its March 31 public meeting, […]
Rezoning Northampton for a Sustainable Future: Download the Presentation PDF
The Zoning Revisions Committee hosted a public forum on “Rezoning Northampton for a Sustainable Future” on March 17. Download a PDF of the presentation (2.6MB). We’ll provide a video of this forum within a few days. In the meantime, here are selected slides from the presentation:See also:As Hurricane Threat Builds, Has Complacency Set In about Flooding?Infill […]
Mayor’s Email Update – 3.7.10
The office of Mayor Clare Higgins has just released this update:Mayor’s Email Update – 3.7.10 In this update: City of Northampton Honored as Hometown Hero Rezoning Forum rescheduled Northampton Receives Energy Efficiency & Conservation Block Grant City Receives Common Cause Award – With Distinction! Northampton Employees garner praise Understanding Recycling Regulations City of Northampton Honored […]
“Rezoning Northampton for a Sustainable Future” Forum Rescheduled to March 17
See also:Video and Slides: Joel Russell Presents Form-Based Zoning Joel Russell’s Introduction to Form-Based Zoning, as Presented to the Northampton Design Forum, 1/26/10 (PDF, 10MB)Download Envisioning Sustainable Northampton – Final Notre Dame Studio Presentation Book Envisioning Sustainable Northampton: Notre Dame Urban Design Presentation – Video and HandoutVideo and Slides: Final Presentation of Design Northampton WeekNorthampton Media: “Northampton’s Built […]