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Darrell Owens

@idothethinking.bsky.social

Anti fascist urbanist. My "bluesky posts" represent myself and do not represent my employer or any affiliated groups and organizations.

1469 Posts9837 Follower424 Folgt
Darrell Owens@idothethinking.bsky.social · 16h ago

Okay DailyCal, lets play a game. Why would a merchant's sales drop 50% between May and June just several blocks from UC Berkeley? A) New housing construction scares away customers. B) Burned buildings attract customers. C) More than half the population South of Campus is gone for the summer.

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Aaron 🏗️🚲🌲🏀@aceckhouse.bsky.social · yesterday

SB 79 at one month: 1) Very encouraging signs of developer interest in actually using the law 2) New projects are all in high resource areas with exclusionary histories 3) We won’t see the full impact in most of the state’s biggest cities for another 5 year 4) Beverly Hills is on some bullshit

Aaron 🏗️🚲🌲🏀@aceckhouse.bsky.social · 2d ago

Most cities are doing their best to follow the law, but some are not. The worst is probably Beverly Hills, which is trying to use a shell game to disappear nearly 3,000 homes worth of zoned capacity. HCD should have nipped this in the bud, but there's still time for them to bring down the hammer.

Beverly Hills was the first city to propose a local TOD alternative plan, which are allowed under SB 79. The core logic of those plans is straightforward: The city can move some of the zoned capacity from one place to another; the alternative plans are then reviewed and certified as compliant by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). But Beverly Hills is trying a shell game by which they just make that zoned capacity disappear instead. A local alternative plan under SB 79, also referred to as an “Eckhouse Plan,” must maintain the same “net zoned capacity” as the state zoning standards. Net zoned capacity is calculated by subtracting the density & floor area of existing uses from the capacity allowed by the zoning. Since the law requires cities “maintain at least the same total net zoned capacity” between SB 79 and the local alternative plan, the city should do that on both sides of the ledger: subtract existing uses from SB 79’s capacity, and from their local plan’s capacity. Instead, Beverly Hills calculated net zoned capacity from SB 79, and then compared that to the total zoned capacity of their local plan. The result: overcounting their local plan’s capacity by nearly 3,000 homes, or 15% of the total capacity. Most troublingly, HCD did not address this problem in their initial review of the city’s alternative plan. We will continue to work with HCD and other stakeholders in Beverly Hills to ensure that their final Eckhouse Plan is compliant with the letter of the law.
wishda@wishda.bsky.social · 5d ago

The DSA in Wilmingotn, N.C. has created a "crisis" by putting benches at city bus stops, after literal decades of the city promising and failing to do so.

Democratic Socialists’ bus benches remain, city mum on next steps | Port City Daily

WILMINGTON — The handmade bus benches installed by the Wilmington Democratic Socialists of America have highlighted a problem nearly everyone agrees exists: most Wave bus stops have nowhere for riders...

portcitydaily.com

Darrell Owens@idothethinking.bsky.social · 5d ago

the section of Berkeley this white property owner is defending against "gentrification" from a bike lane is the most segregated area of Alameda County by share of non-Hispanic white residents. (Bike lane areas in yellow.) Median income over $200,000 and home values over $2 million.

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Theo Gordon@theogordon.bsky.social · last wk.

Move over zucchini lady, this guy calling 'bike lanes white lanes' and calling the Terner Center the 'Gentrification Center' is my new favorite Berkeley Council moment. #berkmtg

Rebecca Saltzman@rebeccaforec.bsky.social · 6d ago

We’re small and scrappy, but we accomplish a lot at @bikeeastbay.bsky.social! Contrary to the conspiracy narrative, our advocacy work is nearly all funded by individual donors. Tomorrow is the last day to become a member on a sliding scale, starting at $1. Join us: bikeeastbay.org/staffgiving/

Robert Prinz@prinzrob.bsky.social · 7d ago

It’s incredibly weird to me that some people maintain conspiracy theories about the small, local non-profit I work for. They could literally just come to our 1 room office w no plumbing & see what we’re up to. But instead they prefer to maintain a myth that we’re shadowy, compromised evil doers?

Darrell Owens@idothethinking.bsky.social · 6d ago

This is also a reminder about Berkeley. It was insane in Paris too (straight up riots out there) before it got great. Addiction to car-centrism is strong but it can be overcome.

Brent Toderian@brenttoderian.bsky.social · 6d ago

“The city’s transition away from the car, tho fantastically chaotic, has become a global role model. Under mayor @annehidalgo.bsky.social, Paris was ‘the most influential city in the world’ says Canadian urbanist Brent Toderian. Hidalgo, stepping down after 12 yrs, exulted: ‘The bike beat the car.’”

David Roberts@volts.wtf · 7d ago

This is morally monstrous behavior. These are ordinary, innocent people that Trump is condemning to suffering & death out of political vindictiveness. Every decent human being, regardless of political party, should condemn it. Where is the fucking *anger*? From the press? From civic leaders? Pols?

FEMA said yes to Democratic disaster requests. Trump killed them anyway.

President Donald Trump cast aside bipartisan precedent when he rejected eligible disaster requests from four blue states.

eenews.net

Clara Jeffery@clarajeffery.bsky.social · last wk.

This treatment of Fauci is so shameful. He did a great job against a horrific plague and despite a mendacious president and fearmongerers and grifters. What happens when there's another global emergency. Do we think civil servants and experts will rise to help save us when they are so treated?