Dec. 14, 2007 at 12:26am

Tacoma Urbanist Document Archive

...................

Tacoma Urbanist Document Archive
Below are a number of documents, links and videos I have accumulated over the last couple of years which I have found to be key to downtown and neighborhood issues.   They include city documents, consultant reports, and documents I have drafted on issues.

North End Neighborhood Council Position Papers

(These are letters written expressing the vote of the Board of the North End Neighborhood Council)

Letter: Opposing Rezone of Property Next to Proctor (6/6/2007)
Letter: Opposing expanding attached and detached accessory dwelling units (4/6/2007)
Letter: Opposing Expansion of Sperry Ocean Dock (7/12/2007)
Position Paper: Mixed Use Center Recommendations to city (7/7/2007)

Published Opinion Pieces I Have Written Via the TNT

Article: Put Our Best Face Forward : Tacoma's Future relies on its past
Article: Winthrop Fits Prescription for Failure in Low Income Housing
Article: Honor Jane Jacobs by Implementing Her Ideas
Article: Off-Street Parking Mandate Impedes Downtown Growth (4/18/2007)
Article: Paying to Park May Have A Place in Parts of Downtown (7/3/3007)

Tacoma and Pierce County Crime Issues - Crime Warp and the "Dumping Ground"

9th and Commerce Crime Issues (New Tacoma Neighborhood Report 3-30-06)
Tacoma Group Home Map :
Tacoma "Special Need" Housing Inventory and Location:
Tacoma Blue Ribbon Citizen Panel Report on Group Homes 2005
Pierce County Prosecutor's Final Report on "Crime Warp"
Tacoma City Club : Thirty Years of DOC in Pierce County: Is it Worth it?
Creating Defensible Space by HUD : How low income housing should be designed to reduce crime)
Pierce County Prosecutor Gerry Horne Letter 6/2005 : Dumping Ground

Videos

Professor Donald Shoup on the Method to Set Parking Rates (The leading authority setting out when, if ever, charging for parking is appropriate)
James Kunstler : The Tragedy of Suburbia
(A 20 minute TED clip.  Kunstler sets out the criteria to determine "whether a place is worth caring about or not.")
Pierce County Prosecutor Gerry Horne Interviewed on "Crime Warp"
South 5 : An short independent film surrealistically portraying the relationship between the cities of Seattle and Tacoma.

Miscellaneous

Chamber of Commerce Presentation With Architect Ko Wibowo: Opening up the walkway adjacent to the South Plaza Parking Garage.

Paul Post Declaration and Property List with Pictures

Tacoma Civic Groups Dedicated to Rebuildng and Enhancing Tacoma

Tacoma Sun (Urban Design, Transportation; Community Building)
NarrowsBridgeLights.org (Dedicated to Lighting up the Narrows Bridge)
Tacoma Street Cars (Seeks the restoration of Street Cars in Tacoma)
Tacoma Works (A variety of projects including murals in Hilltop)
Historic Tacoma (Dedicated to preserving Tacoma's Historical Buildings)
Walk the Waterfront (Group Opposing Expansion of Sperry Dock)

Key City of Tacoma Documents

South Park Plaza Parking Garage Presentation : Before and After
Citizen Survey : January 2007
Streetscape Report (Consultant Report on City Streets)

Resources to Use to Improve Your Neighborhood

Tacoma's "Filthy 15" (Blighted Houses)
Tacoma's Cares Program (Report and Have Blighted Properties Cleaned Up)
My Tacoma (Powerful city tool to see code violations in your neighborhood)
Community Based Services (City crime and blight removal program)
Go Local Tacoma (Build your community through your dollars)

Tacoma Community Links

Tacoma City Council Members (Your elected leaders)
Tacoma Planning Commission (Citizen panel makes zoning recommendations)
Tacoma Land Use Notices (See who is applying for a land use variance)
Pierce County Council
Tacoma Neighborhood Councils (Here's a good place to start getting involved)
Tacoma Business Districts (Go Local)
Life in Pierce County - Central and Hilltop Neighbors site dedicated to stopping exessive felony placement.
Hilltop Business and Restaurant Map



..........