NJ Planners Told: More Apartments and Condos Needed

Posted on February 10, 2014 by walkableprinceton
New Jersey towns build nowhere near enough multi-family housing such as this on Spring Street in Princeton. (Click to expand.)

A successful multi-family development in Spring Street in Princeton- but New Jersey towns are not building anywhere near enough housing like this. (Click to expand.)

The New Jersey Chapter of the American Planning Association heard a plea at their recent annual conference to stop fix the housing market by phasing out dysfunctional planning and zoning practices. Real estate expert Jeffrey Otteau told the conference that Jersey is not building anything like enough housing, and is building the wrong types of housing. Continue reading →

Posted in Affordability, Zoning | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Most Of Princeton Is Pretty Much Fine With The AvalonBay Redevelopment

Posted on February 7, 2014 by walkableprinceton
I'm still standing yeah yeah yeah...the old Princeton hospital has been lying derelict for months as Princeton argues about a development that most people think is a perfectly good idea. (click to expand.)

“I’m still standing-yeah yeah yeah”…the old hospital has been lying derelict for months as Princeton argues about a redevelopment that most people think is a perfectly good idea. (click to expand.)

Princeton municipal officials are poised to spin through the doors of the Mercer Superior Court in Trenton once again as a new set of local residents petitions against the decision to build apartments on the old Princeton Hospital site. Tens of thousands of dollars have now been spent on attorney fees, to defend the municipality and Planning Board against resident law suits and court actions objecting to the plan. But what does Princeton really think? Continue reading →

Posted in Affordability, Density, Princeton, Smart Growth, Zoning | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

More Details About 255 Nassau Street ‘Plan B’ Mixed-Use Development

Posted on February 6, 2014 by walkableprinceton
Circulation and parking plan for 255 Nassau Street 'Plan B'. (click to expand)

Circulation and parking plan for 255 Nassau Street ‘Plan B’. (click to expand)

Last week, we published a rendering of the proposed new mixed-use development at 255 Nassau Street, Princeton. A bank will occupy the first floor, with residential housing at the back of the first floor, and on the second and third levels. The latest plan follows on from a previous version, which was rejected by the Princeton Zoning Board of Adjustment last year. The original application became a subject of concerns about parking and circulation. What is proposed in the new plan? Continue reading →

Posted in Smart Growth, The Parking Question | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Princeton Environmental Film Festival To Screen ‘Tiny Houses’ This Friday

Posted on February 5, 2014 by walkableprinceton
Dream Big, Live Small in a Tiny House...an answer to sustainability and affordability challenges? (Click to expand - image via PEFF website).

A Tiny House from the short film ‘Tiny- A Story About Living Small’…Is this an answer to sustainability and affordability challenges? (Click to expand – image via PEFF website).

‘Dream Big, Live Small’ is the motto of a 62-min movie to play at the [excellent] Princeton Environmental Film Festival this Friday, Feb 5 at 4 p.m. at the Princeton Public Library. The film, ‘Tiny: A Story About Living Small’ focuses on a couple who chose to disregard the trend for ever-larger homes, and instead build their own little corner of the world. The emphasis is clearly on the ‘little’, as the home they seek to construct a ‘tiny house’ of just 124 sq ft. It has a living space with an 11-foot ceiling, a small galley kitchen, a small bathroom with a composting toilet and camping-style gravity fed shower and a sleeping loft. Continue reading →

Posted in Affordability, architecture, Events, Princeton, Real estate, Smart Growth, Sustainability | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Has The D&R Canal Commission Made A Case For Regional Planning In Central Jersey?

Posted on February 4, 2014 by walkableprinceton
The D&R Canal near Princeton. (Click to expand.)

The D&R Canal near Princeton. (Click to expand.)

The D&R Canal Commission issued an extraordinary planning decision last month, over-ruling the recommendation of their own staff and rejecting a plan by Princeton’s Institute of Advanced Study to develop part of their land as faculty housing. The case raises interesting questions about who is in charge of planning in Central Jersey… Continue reading →

Posted in Sustainability | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

New Princeton Alexander Street Roundabout Is Open!

Posted on February 3, 2014 by walkableprinceton
New roundabout at Alexander Street in Princeton. (Click to expand.)

New roundabout in Princeton, looking south along Alexander Street. The WaWa and University Place are accessed via an exit at the left of the picture. (Click to expand.)

A roundabout! Does that word fill you with fear? Well, it’s time to get over it, because Princeton has a new roundabout, at the intersection of Alexander Street and University Place, near the old Dinky Station. This road is one of the busiest entry points to Princeton, so the success of the new traffic layout is essential. We went by to see how the new roundabout looks.

Continue reading →

Posted in Biking, Complete Streets, Traffic | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

The Forgotten Story Of Princeton’s Abandoned Attempt To Pedestrianize Palmer Square

Posted on January 31, 2014 by walkableprinceton
Crowds fill Palmer Square at Communiversity 2013. (Click to expand.)

Crowds fill Palmer Square at Communiversity 2013. (Click to expand.)

College towns that are considered the best in the nation have pedestrianized downtown areas. Every summer, Princeton closes streets around Palmer Square for events like Communiversity and Princeton JazzFeast- events that are wildly popular, and bring thousands of people into town. Despite this, for most of the year, a huge amount of space around Palmer Square is given over to on-street parking, encouraging drivers to circle the downtown looking for a convenient park, increasing pedestrian-car conflicts and limiting space available for outdoor dining, art and street performances. This raises the question: why doesn’t Princeton pedestrianize the streets around Palmer Square permanently? And the answer is…it already happened, but Princeton failed to make it stick! Continue reading →

Posted in Complete Streets, Downtown Vibrancy, Events, People, Princeton, Smart Growth, The Parking Question, Traffic | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

Lot Subdivision Part 2: The Future Of Princeton North

Posted on January 30, 2014 by walkableprinceton
Single-family homes on Ewing Street in Princeton. (Click to expand.)

Single-family homes on Ewing Street in Princeton. (Click to expand.)

Many houses in the area formally known as ‘Princeton North‘ were built in the 1950s and 1960s. Compared to homes that are built today, they might be considered quite small and basic, but when they were built they answered a need for housing for normal people (see photo above). Things in Princeton have changed radically since the 1960s.
Continue reading →

Posted in Affordability, Density, Princeton, Smart Growth, Zoning | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Princeton’s Beloved, Walkable WaWa Faces Its Final Semester.

Posted on January 29, 2014 by walkableprinceton
Entrance to the famous Princeton WaWa. (click to expand.)

Entrance to the famous Princeton WaWa. (click to expand.)

It’s possible- no, likely- that there is no other store in Princeton that has enabled as many car-free shopping trips as the Alexander Street WaWa. For years, the WaWa has been the primary destination for students and locals looking for hot and cold food, milk, drinks, snacks and much more. Now, with the Princeton University Lewis Center expansion project proceeding apace, the WaWa enters its final semester before it will be demolished. Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown Vibrancy, Princeton | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

First Look: 255 Nassau Street ‘Plan B’.

Posted on January 28, 2014 by walkableprinceton
Revised Plan for 255 Nassau Street redevelopment, obtained from Princeton Planning Board by a public records request. (Click to expand.)

Revised Plan for 255 Nassau Street redevelopment, as seen from the front. (Plans from Princeton Planning Board by a public records request- Click to expand.)

Last year, a plan to redevelop the building at 255 Nassau Street in Princeton with apartments was shot down by the Princeton Zoning Board of Adjustment. But now, a new plan is plan is on the table, and this is what it looks like! (see photo above) Continue reading →

Posted in Density, Princeton, Real estate, Smart Growth, The Parking Question, Zoning | Tagged , , | 6 Comments