March 2 Newsletter
Hello, and welcome to RaleighForward on Substack!
March and April are shaping up to be busy months! We hope you will attend these exciting events:
RaleighForward and WakeUP Wake County are teaming up to bring the National Civic League to Raleigh for a program on Emerging Community Engagement Tools. Registration is free and dinner will be provided. Click here to save your spot.
We are also hosting a Happy Hour on Thursday, March 13th in partnership with CityBuilder and WakeUP Wake County. We hope you’ll join us at Moon Room any time between 5 and 7.
We are also excited to share that we are partnering with WakeUP Wake County and CityBuilder to host a screening of “Fault Lines: Inside the Housing Crisis.” For more information and to RSVP, click here.
Articles of interest:
For those that remain skeptical of “filtering,” Austin Rents Tumble 22% from Peak After Massive Homebuilding Spree per Bloomberg.
Massachusetts’ Governor created a commission to make recommendations on reforms to address the State’s housing crisis. The Commission issued its report and recommendations in February. Some of the reforms include legalizing some forms of “Missing Middle” housing in single-family residential zoning ordinances, eliminating minimum lot sizes, eliminating parking mandates, among other reforms.
A key element of RaleighForward’s Mission is building community engagement social infrastructure. To that end, here is an interesting article about Uruguay’s high degree of community engagement and how it helps build trust among residents and with respect to its government. “How Does Uruguay do it?”
US Housing Market Data Suggests ‘Breaking Point,’ Newsweek reports.
“The Baltic Express: Central Europe’s New Hop-on, Hop-off Train” via the BBC.
“Mass Timber: A Sustainable Building Solution” from HUD’s CityScape.
This article from Cato compares the results of “Housing First” efforts in Houston, Utah and California. It concludes that the effectiveness of Housing First varies depending on how restrictive the regulatory framework is in a given community. This could help inform the implementation of Raleigh's ongoing Housing First pilot project called “Brining Neighbors Home.” Housing Markets First: Housing Supply and Affordability Are Key to Reducing Homelessness, on JSTOR.
Policymakers Can Solve Homelessness by Scaling Up Proven Solutions: Rental Assistance and Supportive Services, via JSTOR.
Complete Streets as a Redevelopment Strategy, from HUD’s CityScape.
Here is an example of the benefits of mass upzoning on housing costs in New Zealand. “Causes and Consequences of Zoning Reform in Auckland, also from CityScape.
Bonus read:
Here is an interesting 1989 book chapter reflecting on the development of the Raleigh Greenway System. Given that advocates are now pursuing ‘greenway-oriented development,’ readers may find this retrospective interesting. “Vigilantes, the Neuse, and Sure Salvation: Evolving Advocacy for Greenways.”
From the Data Department:
The Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce released its 2025 Economy and Business Report. It is loaded with interesting data.
Items of interest in the week ahead:
Raleigh City Council meets on Tuesday, March 4th 2025. Here are a few items of interest:
Another City project that took years to plan is running into delays. This seems to be a theme. The City is having trouble implementing another community project. This time, it is the Carolina Pines Complete Streets improvement project. This is similar to what happened to a similar (but much larger) proposal for Six Forks Road between Millbrook and North Hills, as well as the ongoing struggle to implement the New Bern BRT project. This time, the Carolina Pines Avenue project is running into problems. The construction bids came in 24% over the engineer’s estimate. As a result, the City is going to have to reconsider how to implement the project. Click here for the agenda materials.
Council will receive an update on the City’s Housing First pilot project called Bringing Neighbors Home. The Pilot is designed to help Raleigh’s unhoused population living in camps find housing and access to supportive services. The program helped about 42 unhoused people in Dix Park find housing, which then helped close a camp near Healing Transitions. Click here for the agenda materials.
Other community meetings and items of interest:
The City is in the process of developing its budget for the next fiscal year (July 1, 2025-June 30, 2026). The next budget work session is scheduled for March 10 starting at 4:00pm in Council Chambers.
Continuing on subject of trees, City Council asked a committee of its Parks, Recreation and Greenways Advisory Board (PRGAB) to help develop a detailed “Leaf Out” plan for how to 1) protect and expand tree canopy on city-owned land and rights of way, and 2) encourage residents to plant and protect trees on their own properties. To learn more about Leaf Out, click here. Leaf Out recently commissioned a survey to better understand how the Raleigh community values its trees and green spaces. Over 570 people responded and shared their ideas about how to protect Raleigh’s urban tree canopy and natural ecosystems. Review the results and comments here. Interested in joining the Leaf Out efforts? Contact Kate Dixon, chair of the Parks Committee on Sustainability, Wildlife and Urban Trees, at kated1316@gmail.com.
Trees, Urban Policy and Raleigh’s Next Comprehensive Plan
Raleigh continues gathering input and information which it will incorporate into a new Comprehensive Plan. In March, the City is hosting events related to trees and the City’s tree canopy. Since Raleigh is expected to continue rapidly urbanizing, how tree planting is regulated and how the tree canopy is preserved will be important elements of the next Comprehensive Plan.
As the “City of Oaks,” trees have always occupied a special place among Raleigh residents, and for good reasons. Trees improve air and water quality, shade streets, homes, parks, capture carbon dioxide, and create a sense of place. They also help prevent soil erosion, support wildlife, and control stormwater. Because of these many benefits, trees increase property values and enhance the quality of life for Raleigh residents.