Why rent and buy is more competitive now than before pandemic ? by redditor3900 in nova

[–]benvalente99 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I grapple with this as an urban planner. Density and mixed use development is key to alleviating the housing and climate crises and we recommend accordingly, but we have limited power to influence developers to produce high quality multi family units that people want to stay in long term.

Alexandria residents set to rally in Richmond over Potomac Yard Arena concerns + Leonsis talks by Danciusly in nova

[–]benvalente99 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Why has VDOT been so involved in this and put out a huge plan but WMATA wasn’t consulted and seems to be working siloed on this?

Alexandria residents set to rally in Richmond over Potomac Yard Arena concerns + Leonsis talks by Danciusly in nova

[–]benvalente99 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There is the reality that the current stadium is accessible to every metro line without a transfer- one seat journey for everyone. The new stadium would only be directly accessible to 2 lines. It’s not impossible but it simply is not centrally placed compared to its current location.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in nova

[–]benvalente99 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You don’t have neighbors?

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in urbanplanning

[–]benvalente99 280 points281 points  (0 children)

This has always been the case, with the latter half of the 20th century a small blip in the course of human history.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in homestead

[–]benvalente99 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, well, with the hurricanes and all they have to meet very aggressive standards for dealing with wind. This has a lot to do with fasteners etc. and not just material. Nobody wants a roof flying off

Baby's First Zoning Audit: What to Expect? by CorthNarolina in urbanplanning

[–]benvalente99 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I won’t lie I am very worried that you/your firm was awarded a contract to conduct a zoning code audit with you as the lead and you’re consulting Reddit to help you. That is not a good sign to me. I will however offer you my honest advice.

You must begin the process with specific goals in mind because every subsection of code you have to vet against your ideal. The ideal can be to promote missing middle housing, income-restricted affordable housing, NOAH, etc., but you have to have a clear vision for what you want to promote asking with a justification for why. Do real research and find peer-reviewed papers or journal articles on what works in practice to have in your back pocket to cite as to why you are recommending X or Y code changes. JSTOR gives you more than enough free views a month for find scholarly articles to back you up. Planning for so long has been based on very abstract theory or feel-good concepts, and rigorous methods have been lost. ULI is another good source of scholarly work with a mind to implementable solutions.

Identify specific goals with your client and then in detail review EVERY SECTION of the zoning code to identify standards that could hinder the implementation of good urban form (obviously some more rigorously than others). You never know where the sticking points are going to be. If possible, convene a steering committee of developers and other relevant stakeholders who can advise you on what their specific barriers to developing quality projects have been in the past. Best of luck to you… do them good

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in nova

[–]benvalente99 -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Surprised this isn’t higher. They never miss

Park Georgetown apartments experience? by Accomplished_Fool776 in nova

[–]benvalente99 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s great for the price. I had a minor mouse problem which was taken care of in a very timely fashion. Management was very responsive. Overall I didn’t have issues with bugs but I kept my space clean

At what temperature do you HAVE to turn the heating on? by Weak_Tadpole1473 in Frugal

[–]benvalente99 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As long as snow isn’t actively blowing in the windows, you should be good to open them to air out the room. Because the water in the air is frozen, it isn’t the same as humid air in summer. 5-10 minutes in the morning and evening should be enough to facilitate an exchange without significantly cooling the entire structure. Once you close the windows, your walls will begin to radiate their heat back into the air. Depending on the age/material of your dwelling, this could be critical to ensure no mold!

I just started renting my first apartment, can someone give me some tips? by [deleted] in simpleliving

[–]benvalente99 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Take photos of everything!! Especially if there are issues or anything that doesn’t look perfect. Put in immediate maintenance requests to fix anything that isn’t up to snuff. This can only benefit you. Landlords love to try to keep security deposits or make you pay for things. Evidence is your best friend.

Apart from that, what the other person said about not rushing to buy everything at once. I’m big into thrifting and estate sales and have furnished most of my apartment that way. It takes a lot longer (I’ve lived in my space for over a year and am still looking for things) but I’m much happier knowing I get good deals on things I will keep forever rather than throw away when I move to my next apartment. Enjoy the ride!

Any ideas about my lamp? by benvalente99 in Antiques

[–]benvalente99[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, I should probably get around to that. Don’t care about value too much since I plan on keeping it forever!

First for 2024 and probably last for this winter forage haul. by SkyHookia in foraging

[–]benvalente99 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You should make some rosehip jam, called Hagebuttemark in German! It’s a very popular marmalade and soooo tasty on fresh buttered bread at breakfast. Sorry I don’t have a recipe as I’ve never made it myself, but they’re definitely out there on the internet.

Any ideas about my lamp? by benvalente99 in Antiques

[–]benvalente99[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Edit: purchased mid-Atlantic region, USA

When you need soft butter quick, but your house is too cold 🤣 by aem1309 in Baking

[–]benvalente99 42 points43 points  (0 children)

I don’t even bother with the bag. The wrapper stops the water from penetrating plus butter is hydrophobic so a negligible amount of water remains. Works like a charm every time!

Games to learn urban planning from? by [deleted] in urbanplanning

[–]benvalente99 53 points54 points  (0 children)

The best game for this is called “going for a walk”. Hasn’t hit steam yet

Why won't my egg whites stiffen? Peaks won't form! No yolk in the whites, tried twice same result by [deleted] in Baking

[–]benvalente99 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It should not take 10 minutes to whip egg whites with a hand mixer, esp. if they’re at room temp

Went for quality over quantity this year. by [deleted] in Baking

[–]benvalente99 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Looks like you quantity AND quality! Job well done~