The Chatham Arch Question, Part II: What Are the Consequences of Low Density Just a Mile from the Heart of Downtown?
Posted by Eric McAfee in Neighborhoods, New Development on Jan 11th, 2017 | 42 comments
In the first half of this two-part series I looked at the prevailing mentality articulated by some of the most influential members of the Chatham Arch neighborhood, evidenced by the Chatham Arch Neighborhood Association (CANA) and its near-unanimous opposition to the redevelopment of a long-vacant charter school site at 9th and East Streets, into a mix of townhomes, single-family, and apartments with retail. Essentially, CANA argued that this proposal’s density was out of synch with the character of the nationally-registered Chatham Arch historic neighborhood, which largely consists of modest...
The Dwindling Green Fields of Marion County
Posted by Kevin Kastner in Neighborhoods, New Development, Pedestrian on Oct 22nd, 2015 | 8 comments
Marion County is approaching full development. Sure, there will be pockets of empty fields and wooded lots here and there, but the large swaths of this type of land are basically relegated to Warren, Decatur and Franklin townships. Here’s a look at the wooded lots and crop fields that have been mapped in 2015:
I combined these 2 layers into one layer here:
Then, I placed the parks layer on top of the newly combined layer and whited it out, as the parks will most likely stay as green spaces for the next decade at least. I also removed the data that was sitting outside of Marion...
A Few Upcoming Meetings of Note
Posted by Kevin Kastner in Neighborhoods, New Development, Transit on Mar 11th, 2013 | 0 comments
Just a few notices on meetings of note that I have received recently.
Meridian Kessler Neighborhood Association is hosting a meeting to discuss the new Midtown TIF district.
Indy Rezone, which has been relatively quiet in the public realm lately, is hosting a public event to discuss the Near Northside Smart Growth District.
Also, there are 3 neighborhood meetings left in the Indy Connect public outreach program to attend.
These meetings are great chances to stay informed of important initiatives in the city. Â Please let us know of other upcoming meetings in the...
US GAO issues report on Bus Rapid Transit
Posted by Curt Ailes in Transit on Aug 1st, 2012 | 3 comments
The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently issued a 54 page report on domestic Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in which it offered up an official account comparing BRT systems within the United States.
The study touched on all manner of operational parameters as well as capital expenditures in coming to its conclusions on what constitutes a successful BRT system. The report is very telling in that it lends Federal credibility to many of the same items that active transportation advocates use as selling points for rapid transit infrastructure. Let’s explore.
As you might expect, the...
An Open Letter to DMD: Please Allow More than Single Family Housing on City Streets
Posted by Kevin Kastner in Neighborhoods, New Development, Pedestrian, Transit on Jul 15th, 2019 | 8 comments
Last year, I wrote an article about the Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development’s seeming devotion to neighborhood land use plans. This is still an ongoing issue, as mid-block duplex proposals keep getting denied by the Metropolitan Development Commission. This is a sure-fire way to raise housing costs, and stifle the growth of our burgeoning transit system.
And now, they are not even listening to their own advice regarding land use plans. Witness a few bullet points, starting on the 15th page of the latest MDC Staff Report:
This request would rezone the site from the D-5 District to...
