Weekly Links: Atlanta Planning Commissioner Tim Keane is taking a real hard look at your building design proposal and it better not be bad. Also, should we try a cap-and-trade system for affordable housing? No. And, a hyper loop prototype is finally unveiled.
Don’t Lecture Savannah On Climate Change
Weekly Links: Savannah doesn’t need a report detailing the effects of climate change; residents already see those effects on a routine basis. Also, Atlanta may allow residents to propose and vote on community projects. And, Minneapolis just upped the ante on zoning reform.
Athens Bans E-Scooters, Reminds Us That Elected Officials Are Still in Charge
Weekly Links: Athens isn’t down with being forced to quickly respond to problems unleashed by companies. Plus, Atlanta to Charlotte passenger rail could be on the way…there’s only one problem. And, Atlanta may finally allow garages to be rented out in more parts of the city.
Atlanta Reconsiders Its Proposed Ban on Car Booting, Opts for Minor Changes Instead
Weekly Links: Dust off your contract law books because car booting in Atlanta may be here to stay. Plus, 1.) many cities are offering cash to lure new residents, 2.) large cities may actually alter the structure of hurricanes to produce more rain, and 3.) libraries are getting in the seed-sharing business.
Selling Our Souls (and Train Cars) to Amazon
Weekly Links: Our incentives to lure the company included Amazon-only MARTA rail cars and renaming streets after Amazon products. Plus:
1.) Atlanta plans to combat minimum parking requirements, something that should unite the left and right; and
2.) How NIMBYism and anti-density movements are eerily similar to voter suppression efforts.
Atlanta’s Zero Mile Post Has Been Downtown for 150 Years. Not Anymore.
Weekly Links: The 800-pound marker that’s stood for 150 years marking the original terminus of incoming rail lines is moving to Buckhead. Plus, Tornado Alley has been moving closer to Georgia over the past few decades and in a twist, Gulch re-development is approved by the city council while Amazon chooses two other cities for its second headquarters.
Should 92°F in October Be Considered a Heat Wave?
The term “heat wave” and excessive heat warnings are generally reserved for unusually uncomfortable and hazardous conditions. The weather doesn’t really meet that criteria right now, but perhaps we should still issue advisories for when temperatures are simply abnormal.
Oh Yeah, Transit is Supposed to Go On The Beltline
Weekly Links: This week, facing pressure, MARTA adds more light rail for the Beltline while cutting funding for Emory rail. Also, this month is on pace to be the hottest September on record in Atlanta. Plus, Georgia finally got its very own model solar zoning ordinance!