The 9/24/10 New York Times reports on a knotty problem that can come with mixed-use zoning. Many residents want peace and quiet. Bars and restaurants want to use their outdoor spaces for patrons. Fight Gets Louder Between Bars and Neighbors as Heat Subsides …As New Yorkers turn off air-conditioners and fling open windows to the […]
Neighborhood Character
Videos: Zoning for King Street, 9/21/10
Here is a complete blip.tv video of Zoning for King Street, a public forum hosted at the Bluebonnet Diner on 9/21/10 by Northampton’s Zoning Revisions Committee. This video is 2 hours 2 minutes long. The first hour is a presentation of proposed zoning changes (PDF, 2MB), including those suggested by the Chamber of Commerce (PDF, 1.3MB). The […]
September 23: Second Forum on Northampton Open Space, Recreation & Multi-Use Trail Plan
Northampton’s Office of Planning and Development announces today: The second public forum on the draft Northampton Open Space, Recreation, & Multi-Use Trail Plan: 2011-2017 will be held this coming Thursday, September 23rd, at 7:00 PM in the basement of the Unitarian Church next to City Hall. The first public forum was held on Tuesday [see video]. […]
Video: Wayne Feiden Presents Draft 2011-2017 Open Space, Recreation & Multi-Use Trail Plan
Wayne Feiden, Director of Northampton’s Office of Planning and Development, presented highlights from a draft of the 2011-2017 Open Space, Recreation & Multi-Use Trail Plan (PDF, 237 pages, 5MB) to the public at Northampton High School’s Little Theater last night. Here is a complete blip.tv video of the presentation and discussion (1 hour 20 minutes). The recording was […]
Joel Kotkin: “Urban Legends: Why suburbs, not cities, are the answer”
This week in Foreign Policy, Joel Kotkin challenges the notion that bigger is always better when it comes to cities. Urban Legends The human world is fast becoming an urban world — and according to many, the faster that happens and the bigger the cities get, the better off we all will be. The old […]
Boston Globe: “The growth of a thoughtful city”
The results of breakneck growth in China lead Carlo Rotella to appreciate how Boston values continuity: The growth of a thoughtful city …When I get back from China I no longer take it for granted that I can walk with my kids down our street past trees, yards, and lawns to a park with a […]
LaBarge, Spector and Tacy Propose Resolution to Preserve Upper Roberts Meadow Dam
Ward 6 City Councilor Marianne LaBarge, Ward 2 Councilor Paul Spector and Ward 7 Councilor Gene Tacy have proposed “A Resolution of the City Council on the Preservation of the Upper Roberts Meadow Dam” for the City Council meeting of August 19. Concerned citizens are encouraged to attend at 7:15pm in City Council Chambers, 212 […]
TED Video: Ellen Dunham-Jones on Retrofitting Suburbia
As King Street goes under the microscope, architect Ellen Dunham-Jones talks in Atlanta about the successful reuse of empty buildings and parking lots, and enhancing the attractiveness of major thoroughfares. Infill doesn’t have to mean swallowing up our remaining in-town greenspace. From the TED Blog, 6/29/10: “Ellen Dunham-Jones fires the starting shot for the next 50 years’ big sustainable […]
Bay State Village Visioning Project: Survey Results
On June 22, the Visioning Committee of the Bay State Village Association presented the results (PDF, 6MB) of a recent survey of residents’ preferences for the future of their neighborhood. Below are selected slides from the presentation. Preserving open spaces and the natural environment emerge as clear priorities, as does a desire to maintain current lot sizes (not reduce them). […]
August 7: Ward 3 Neighborhood Association to Sponsor Ward 3 Vegetable Garden Tour
We are pleased to share this press release with you: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Jerry Budgar (413) 584-2964 WARD 3 NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION TO SPONSOR WARD 3 VEGETABLE GARDEN TOUR Local residents will have an opportunity to celebrate the agricultural and food-growing heritage of Northampton and talk with farmers and gardeners about growing local food as […]