Happy New Year everyone! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and had some time to relax. As we kickoff into 2024, I’m starting a monthly newsletter that will look back on the best of the previous month as well as ways to get involved in the coming month.
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December Content
Dec 1 – ThreadATL Podcast Feature
I joined Darin Givens of ThreadATL to discuss land use and transportation in Atlanta.
Dec 2 – Raleigh’s BRT Success Depends on the TOD Rezoning
Raleigh has started construction on the first of four Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lines, the New Bern BRT. It aims to reduce car dependency, promote affordability and combat climate change through a proposed Transit Overlay District (TOD). If up-zoning along the BRT corridor is not implemented, it could result in displacement and increased pressure on existing infrastructure. Up-zoning could diversify housing options, reduce sprawl, and decrease climate change impacts.
Dec 3 – Raleigh Rising: Through the Years
Video visualizing growth over the years in Raleigh’s core.
Dec 10 – Houston First Visit
Video on my thoughts from my first visit to Houston, Tx.
Dec 17 – Wendell Falls Update
Updates from Wendell Falls.
Dec 22 – Ride Through Downtown Atlanta
First person ride along through the streets of Downtown Atlanta.
Dec 27 – Midtown Atlanta 2023 Drone Tour Compilation
Compilation of 2023 drone footage of Midtown Atlanta.
Dec 27 – Urban Connector Top 10 of 2023.
A look back at my favorite videos and articles of 2023.
Things to Know – Raleigh
| Date | Event | Notes |
| 1/2 | City Council Meeting | 1:00 PM & 7:00 PM |
| 1/4 | Raleigh Forward Happy Hour | 5:30 PM – Vita Vite Midtown |
| 1/9 | Planning Commission | 9:00 AM |
| 1/9 | City Council Work Session | 4:00 PM |
| 1/9 | City Council Meeting | 7:00 PM |
| 1/15 | DR MLK Day | |
| 1/16 | City Council Work Session | 11:30 AM |
| 1/16 | City Council Afternoon Session | 1:00 PM |
| 1/23 | Planning Commission | 9:00 AM |
| 1/26 | Oaks and Spokes Member Party | Become a member today! |
| 1/30 | City Council Meeting | 7:00 PM – New Bern BRT Public Hearing* |
*For more ways to support the New Bern BRT Rezoning efforts please see this great article from Raleigh Forward.
Things to Know – Atlanta
| Date | Event | Notes |
| 1/8 | City Council Meeting | 1:00 PM |
| 1/15 | DR MLK Day | |
| 1/17 | Zoning Committee | 9:30 AM |
| 1/17 | Transporation Committee | 10:00 AM |
| 1/22 | City Council Meeting | 1:00 PM |
| 1/26 | Critical Mass Ride | 6:00 PM – Woodruff Park |
| 1/29 | Zoning Committee | 11:00 AM |
Developments that excited me
- This map floated around from the Beltline Transit Study which shows some Streetcar lines I’d previously not seen. It’s also very different from the MoreMarta plan. This is very early conceptual stuff but very exciting lines!
- This awesome tower near Piedmont Park rises.
- South Downtown is revived! Shoutout to Atlanta Ventures for stepping in and swooping up the South Downtown properties. I can’t wait to see how the vision evolves.
- The Stitch is actually happening?!
What I’m looking out for
- 2023 was a banner year for zoning and parking reform nationwide. While Atlanta has some Beltline overlay zones, it’s time for some city-wide reform ideas to come forward.
- Interest rates have been slipping. I’m very interested to see how the buying season starts early this year.
- Related, I’m also interested in seeing how the multifamily and commercial development pipeline evolves. 2023 saw a slew of delays and cancelations in Raleigh’s pipeline but things seem to be moving for the most part in Charlotte and Atlanta.
- Will Centennial Yards be more than two buildings before the World Cup?
I’m sure this newsletter will evolve as time goes on. Comments or suggestions? Let me know!
Phil Veasley is a Professional Engineer working to design safer multimodal infrastructure in cities throughout the US. My goal is to create cites that are safe and effective for all people to move about outside of cars. To achieve that we have to focus on creating equitable, dense, and vibrant cities full of walkable neighborhoods with a various mix of housing choices, schools, restaurants, and services. We cannot have safe multimodal infrastructure without the density to support it and we cannot have equitable density without safe multimodal infrastructure. Outside of designing safe streets, my passions are sketching ideas for infill neighborhoods, floor plans, urban photography, and exploring our cities on foot or bike. Please check out the menus above for all of my ideas and also check out my YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter accounts.
Opinions and insights are my own and are not representative of my employer or any organization.
Phil Veasley 
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