Dive Brief:
- Two elected New York City officials are planning a potential change to the City Charter that would allow residents to have early input into large developments proposed for their neighborhoods, according to Curbed New York.
- City Councilman Antonio Reynoso and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer are working together to develop the new community-based process after developers of recent large city developments refused to delay them after those living nearby voiced their concerns.
- Proponents of the proposal say that pre-project input by the community could also benefit developers, as it might streamline reviews and make for a more orderly approval process.
Dive Insight:
Communities across the country have recently stepped up and demanded to have more involvement in the development of large projects planned for their neighborhoods. Los Angeles residents have seen major high-density development in certain areas of the city and are pushing back against the potential drain on infrastructure. They also have expressed their frustration with gentrification, increased traffic and air pollution from the additional vehicles that come with the projects. Advocacy groups managed to get a measure — the Neighborhood Integrity Initiative — on next month's ballot that would put a moratorium on the zoning changes necessary for such large-scale projects.
Miami residents and Mayor Tomás Regalado have expressed similar concern about the direction that the city's development landscape has taken. Last month, Regalado said he would veto a proposal that would see the demolition of an existing American Legion hall to make room for a 1.2-million-square-foot, mixed-use development. Developer ACRE GCDM Bay Investment has offered to perform upgrades to an adjacent park, but community members said the new project doesn’t fit in with the low-rise nature of the existing historic aesthetic of the neighborhood.