Here is video and text from Arnie Levinson’s May 9 campaign kickoff speech published on his website. He seeks the open Ward 3 city council seat. Mr. Levinson is director of Ward 3’s Neighborhood Watch Program. Opposing him is Owen Freeman-Daniels (website), vice president of the Ward 3 Neighborhood Association, who was the campaign manager […]
Infill
Metropolis: Why are predictions on the Future of Architecture always so wrong?
We appreciate Paul Goldberger’s essay in this month’s Metropolis, “Rose-Colored Glasses”. An excerpt: What intrigues me is how little real curiosity about the present most futurists seem to possess. They miss its nuance and complexity. They seem to grasp none of the richness, not to mention the subtlety, of the way in which a vast […]
Update: Planning Board *Approves* Seton Parish Site Plan, Restricts Oxbow Soccer
Update: On April 18, Northampton Senior Land Use Planner Carolyn Misch confirmed to us that, contrary to the result shown on the Seton Parish Site Plan video below, “the board’s decision (3-2) stands as an approval since it was a majority of the board present.” Here are two YouTube videos covering the complete 4/14/11 meeting […]
Video: Zoning Revisions Committee Reviews Dimensional and Design Standards Proposals
Here is a complete YouTube video of the 3/30/11 meeting of Northampton’s Zoning Revisions Committee. This video is 1 hour 54 minutes long and was recorded by Adam Cohen.The committee decided to recommend more lenient rules for home occupations and to codify rules for urban chickens. These will next be reviewed by the Planning Board.The […]
Making Smart Growth Better: Critiques, Guidelines, Cautions
As the Zoning Revisions Committee discusses what infill and Smart Growth should mean for Northampton’s urban residential neighborhoods (preview the ZRC’s proposals for these neighborhoods and come to their March 30 meeting), let’s review some insights from other cities: Washington: “Infill Development: Strategies for Shaping Livable Neighborhoods” (June 1997) Cities seeking investment in older urban neighborhoods […]
See Zoning Revisions Proposals for URA, URB and URC Ahead of March 30 Meeting
Here are rezoning proposals (summary and details) to be considered by the Zoning Revisions Committee at its March 30 meeting (7-9pm, City Council Chambers). The proposals aim to increase density moderately while preserving the character of Northampton’s traditional neighborhoods. We urge concerned citizens to attend the meeting.The proposals below have been suggested by individual members of […]
Videos: Zoning Revisions Committee, March 16, 2011; Urban Chickens, Future of ZRC
Here are two YouTube videos covering the complete 3/16/11 meeting of Northampton’s Zoning Revisions Committee. Segment 1 (1 hour 1 min) shows the committee drafting ordinances relating to urban agriculture, in particular the maintenance of 12 or fewer hens on residential lots. Segment 2 (1 hour 4 min) covers a variety of topics, including the future […]
Videos and Slides: Main and King Street Transportation Charrette, Final Presentation and Q&A
Here are two YouTube videos covering the complete final presentation (53 min) and Q&A session (41 min) from this week’s Main and King Street Transportation Charrette, featuring consultants from Nelson\Nygaard. These videos were recorded by Adam Cohen.Here are the slides from the final presentation: Main Street King Street Charrette Final Presentation Many of the ideas […]
Videos and Slides: Main and King Street Transportation Charrette, Introduction and Goal Setting
Here are YouTube videos from the first day (3/14/11) of the Nelson\Nygaard transportation charrette focused on Main Street and King Street in Northampton. These videos were recorded by Adam Cohen. The consultants’ overarching philosophy is informed by New Urbanism and makes a priority of building mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly urban environments. It is reminiscent of proposals made during the Notre […]
March 14-16: Main and King Street Transportation Charrette
Northampton’s Office of Planning and Development announces a Main and King Street Transportation Charrette. As you can see from the articles we include below the announcement, we’re concerned that increasing urban density beyond a certain point could result in unpleasant increases in total downtown Northampton traffic, even if vehicle miles per capita decrease somewhat. We have, of course, expressed other […]