Fix the No-Zone

February 8, 2007

Daily News, February 8, 2007

HERE'S a no-brainer: Do we want a modern city that is smartly planned and designed for the benefit of all, or a provincial backwater that gets built on favors, closed-door deals, and a chaotic, ancient and disorganized system?

Of course, that question could be interpreted broadly enough to cover any sphere, but at issue today is how this relates to reforming the city's zoning code. Today, City Council is expected to vote on a resolution and ordinance that would pave the way for the creation of a 29-member Zoning Code Commission. Such a commission requires a charter change, and Council's vote could put the question to the voters on the May ballot.

Philadelphia has a 600-page zoning code, which hasn't been revised for more than 50 years. It's critical that we fix the situation that forces the city to basically reinvent the wheel almost every time a building is proposed.

This move, to a set of predictable rules for development and growth, overseen by the head of the Planning Commission, could be one of the most positive changes the city could make for its future. It's something that neighborhood activists, developers and planning professionals agree must happen. And so do we.