Livable Harrisonburg
@livablehburg.bsky.social
We meet once a month to discuss ways we can advocate for a more Livable Harrisonburg.
Sign up for our mailing list here: https://livableharrisonburg.org/contact-us/
Sign up for our mailing list here: https://livableharrisonburg.org/contact-us/
Liberty St. and Virginia Ave. projects seeking feedback • Roanoke's zoning rewrite lingers into 2026 • Manufactured homes and SROs could help meet demand for affordable housing
brentfinnegan.substack.com/p/the-shortl...
brentfinnegan.substack.com/p/the-shortl...
The Shortline 12-15-25
Liberty St. and Virginia Ave. projects seeking feedback • Roanoke's zoning rewrite lingers into 2026 • Manufactured homes and SROs could help meet demand for affordable housing
brentfinnegan.substack.com
December 22, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Liberty St. and Virginia Ave. projects seeking feedback • Roanoke's zoning rewrite lingers into 2026 • Manufactured homes and SROs could help meet demand for affordable housing
brentfinnegan.substack.com/p/the-shortl...
brentfinnegan.substack.com/p/the-shortl...
Black Friday parking 2025 • Harrisonburg development map • Judge dismisses Alexandria lawsuit against missing middle rezoning • HUD set to dismantle CoC funding for permanent supportive housing
brentfinnegan.substack.com/p/the-shortl...
brentfinnegan.substack.com/p/the-shortl...
The Shortline 11-28-25
Black Friday parking 2025 • Harrisonburg development map • Judge dismisses Alexandria lawsuit against missing middle rezoning • HUD set to dismantle CoC funding for permanent supportive housing
brentfinnegan.substack.com
December 1, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Black Friday parking 2025 • Harrisonburg development map • Judge dismisses Alexandria lawsuit against missing middle rezoning • HUD set to dismantle CoC funding for permanent supportive housing
brentfinnegan.substack.com/p/the-shortl...
brentfinnegan.substack.com/p/the-shortl...
Cranksgiving bicycle ride collects food for the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank
Cranksgiving bicycle ride collects food for the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank
“It makes it a fun way to do a food drive that benefits the community and our neighborhood in need this season," Presgraves said.
www.whsv.com
November 25, 2025 at 2:40 PM
Cranksgiving bicycle ride collects food for the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank
xkcd: Car Size
'They really shouldn't let those small cars drive in traffic. I worry I'm going to kill someone if I hit one! They should have to drive on the sidewalk, safely out of the way.'
'They really shouldn't let those small cars drive in traffic. I worry I'm going to kill someone if I hit one! They should have to drive on the sidewalk, safely out of the way.'
xkcd: Car Size
'They really shouldn't let those small cars drive in traffic. I worry I'm going to kill someone if I hit one! They should have to drive on the sidewalk, safely out of the way.'
m.xkcd.com
November 24, 2025 at 2:26 PM
xkcd: Car Size
'They really shouldn't let those small cars drive in traffic. I worry I'm going to kill someone if I hit one! They should have to drive on the sidewalk, safely out of the way.'
'They really shouldn't let those small cars drive in traffic. I worry I'm going to kill someone if I hit one! They should have to drive on the sidewalk, safely out of the way.'
National Zoning Atlas for Harrisonburg • Data centers already consume 25% of Virginia’s power • Manufactured home reforms could unlock more affordable housing
brentfinnegan.substack.com/p/the-shortl...
brentfinnegan.substack.com/p/the-shortl...
The Shortline 11-13-25
National Zoning Atlas for Harrisonburg • Data centers already consume 25% of Virginia’s power • Manufactured home reforms could unlock more affordable housing
brentfinnegan.substack.com
November 17, 2025 at 2:26 PM
National Zoning Atlas for Harrisonburg • Data centers already consume 25% of Virginia’s power • Manufactured home reforms could unlock more affordable housing
brentfinnegan.substack.com/p/the-shortl...
brentfinnegan.substack.com/p/the-shortl...
Reflections on the history of Harrisonburg's built environment • A bill that could repeal parking mandates statewide • Median rent correlates closely with local homelessness rates
brentfinnegan.substack.com/p/the-shortl...
brentfinnegan.substack.com/p/the-shortl...
The Shortline 9-26-25
Reflections on the history of Harrisonburg's built environment • A bill that could repeal parking mandates statewide • Median rent correlates closely with local homelessness rates
brentfinnegan.substack.com
September 29, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Reflections on the history of Harrisonburg's built environment • A bill that could repeal parking mandates statewide • Median rent correlates closely with local homelessness rates
brentfinnegan.substack.com/p/the-shortl...
brentfinnegan.substack.com/p/the-shortl...
Zoning Rules are not a constant
Harrisonburg's zoning ordinance and map has changed many times over the decades. A brief look at the history of land use at the site of The Link proposal in south downtown Harrisonburg.
brentfinnegan.substack.com/p/zoning-rul...
Harrisonburg's zoning ordinance and map has changed many times over the decades. A brief look at the history of land use at the site of The Link proposal in south downtown Harrisonburg.
brentfinnegan.substack.com/p/zoning-rul...
Zoning rules are not a constant
Harrisonburg's zoning ordinance and map has changed many times over the decades. A brief look at the history of land use at the site of The Link proposal in south downtown Harrisonburg.
brentfinnegan.substack.com
August 18, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Zoning Rules are not a constant
Harrisonburg's zoning ordinance and map has changed many times over the decades. A brief look at the history of land use at the site of The Link proposal in south downtown Harrisonburg.
brentfinnegan.substack.com/p/zoning-rul...
Harrisonburg's zoning ordinance and map has changed many times over the decades. A brief look at the history of land use at the site of The Link proposal in south downtown Harrisonburg.
brentfinnegan.substack.com/p/zoning-rul...
The proposed Link Development is at City Council tonight at 7pm! Make your voice heard for more housing, more walkability, and building a better Harrisonburg. You can be heard in person, by email, or watch online and calling in:
In Person: 7pm at City Hall, 409 S Main St
In Person: 7pm at City Hall, 409 S Main St
August 12, 2025 at 7:23 PM
The proposed Link Development is at City Council tonight at 7pm! Make your voice heard for more housing, more walkability, and building a better Harrisonburg. You can be heard in person, by email, or watch online and calling in:
In Person: 7pm at City Hall, 409 S Main St
In Person: 7pm at City Hall, 409 S Main St
The Link apartments would be a net positive for Harrisonburg
Student housing vs. affordable housing • Alignment with the Downtown 2040 Plan • Unbundling rent from parking brentfinnegan.substack.com/p/the-link-a...
Student housing vs. affordable housing • Alignment with the Downtown 2040 Plan • Unbundling rent from parking brentfinnegan.substack.com/p/the-link-a...
The Link apartments would be a net positive for Harrisonburg
Student housing vs. affordable housing • Alignment with the Downtown 2040 Plan • Unbundling rent from parking
brentfinnegan.substack.com
August 7, 2025 at 5:57 PM
The Link apartments would be a net positive for Harrisonburg
Student housing vs. affordable housing • Alignment with the Downtown 2040 Plan • Unbundling rent from parking brentfinnegan.substack.com/p/the-link-a...
Student housing vs. affordable housing • Alignment with the Downtown 2040 Plan • Unbundling rent from parking brentfinnegan.substack.com/p/the-link-a...
Harrisonburg Citizen Academy applications open • Amazon pulls data center application in Louisa County • How restrictive zoning exacerbates the housing shortage
brentfinnegan.substack.com/p/the-shortl...
brentfinnegan.substack.com/p/the-shortl...
The Shortline 8-2-25
Harrisonburg Citizen Academy applications open • Amazon pulls data center application in Louisa County • How restrictive zoning exacerbates the housing shortage
substack.com
August 2, 2025 at 8:09 PM
Harrisonburg Citizen Academy applications open • Amazon pulls data center application in Louisa County • How restrictive zoning exacerbates the housing shortage
brentfinnegan.substack.com/p/the-shortl...
brentfinnegan.substack.com/p/the-shortl...
Fill out the North Mason Street Demonstration Project User Questionnaire:
survey.zohopublic.com/zs/5YB1Di
survey.zohopublic.com/zs/5YB1Di
July 28, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Fill out the North Mason Street Demonstration Project User Questionnaire:
survey.zohopublic.com/zs/5YB1Di
survey.zohopublic.com/zs/5YB1Di
"Just one more Lane" on i-81.
Be sure to comment on the Virginia plan to expand i-81.
Be sure to comment on the Virginia plan to expand i-81.
July 25, 2025 at 2:02 PM
"Just one more Lane" on i-81.
Be sure to comment on the Virginia plan to expand i-81.
Be sure to comment on the Virginia plan to expand i-81.
Two lanes of N. Mason temporarily opened to people not in cars • Judge voids Charlottesville's zoning ordinance • North Carolina could ban parking mandates statewide
brentfinnegan.substack.com/p/the-shortl...
brentfinnegan.substack.com/p/the-shortl...
The Shortline 7-8-25
Two lanes of N. Mason temporarily opened to people not in cars • Judge voids Charlottesville's zoning ordinance • North Carolina could ban parking mandates statewide
brentfinnegan.substack.com
July 8, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Two lanes of N. Mason temporarily opened to people not in cars • Judge voids Charlottesville's zoning ordinance • North Carolina could ban parking mandates statewide
brentfinnegan.substack.com/p/the-shortl...
brentfinnegan.substack.com/p/the-shortl...
Harrisonburg City has openings for Planning Comission and other boards! Please apply.
The City of Harrisonburg, VA: Vacancies
Jul 05, 2025 to Oct 02, 2025
harrisonburg-va.granicus.com
July 5, 2025 at 2:02 AM
Harrisonburg City has openings for Planning Comission and other boards! Please apply.
Pedestrian struck on South Main Street, flown to UVA • Data center proliferation spreads southward in Virginia • Human-caused climate change made this excessive heat at least 5 times more likely
brentfinnegan.substack.com/p/the-shortl...
brentfinnegan.substack.com/p/the-shortl...
June 24, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Pedestrian struck on South Main Street, flown to UVA • Data center proliferation spreads southward in Virginia • Human-caused climate change made this excessive heat at least 5 times more likely
brentfinnegan.substack.com/p/the-shortl...
brentfinnegan.substack.com/p/the-shortl...
Teel: "Private cars and the accompanying road, parking and storage infrastructure are a large factor in global environmental decline."
brentfinnegan.substack.com/p/car-centri...
brentfinnegan.substack.com/p/car-centri...
June 21, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Teel: "Private cars and the accompanying road, parking and storage infrastructure are a large factor in global environmental decline."
brentfinnegan.substack.com/p/car-centri...
brentfinnegan.substack.com/p/car-centri...
Join us for a Jane Walk on Saturday at 11am.
We will meet outside Immanuel Mennonite.
Our Facebook event: www.facebook.com/events/14479...
We will meet outside Immanuel Mennonite.
Our Facebook event: www.facebook.com/events/14479...
June 17, 2025 at 11:05 PM
Join us for a Jane Walk on Saturday at 11am.
We will meet outside Immanuel Mennonite.
Our Facebook event: www.facebook.com/events/14479...
We will meet outside Immanuel Mennonite.
Our Facebook event: www.facebook.com/events/14479...
Why redlined neighborhoods in Virginia are hotter in the summer • Henrico BoS regulates data centers • A solution to the tension between housing development and tree preservation
brentfinnegan.substack.com/p/the-shortl...
brentfinnegan.substack.com/p/the-shortl...
The Shortline 6-13-25
Why redlined neighborhoods in Virginia are hotter in the summer • Henrico BoS regulates data centers • A solution to the tension between housing development and tree preservation
brentfinnegan.substack.com
June 16, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Why redlined neighborhoods in Virginia are hotter in the summer • Henrico BoS regulates data centers • A solution to the tension between housing development and tree preservation
brentfinnegan.substack.com/p/the-shortl...
brentfinnegan.substack.com/p/the-shortl...
"The transformation of Mason Street isn’t just about a safer street—it’s about restoring trust and agency to the people who live there. It’s about making the city a place that listens, learns, and improves—not once, but continually."
www.strongtowns.org/journal/2025...
www.strongtowns.org/journal/2025...
How Harrisonburg Is Reclaiming Its Streets From the Bottom Up
City staff in Harrisonburg, Virginia, are embracing a process of co-creation with the public they serve. Here’s what that means.
www.strongtowns.org
June 12, 2025 at 6:47 PM
"The transformation of Mason Street isn’t just about a safer street—it’s about restoring trust and agency to the people who live there. It’s about making the city a place that listens, learns, and improves—not once, but continually."
www.strongtowns.org/journal/2025...
www.strongtowns.org/journal/2025...
Join us on Monday June 9th, 5:30pm at the Library.
June 7, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Join us on Monday June 9th, 5:30pm at the Library.
"Large sections of the eastern and southern parts of the city are walkable in the same sense that you could swim across a river full of snapping turtles without getting bitten, but it’s not something you would do if you had a safer option."
hburgcitizen.com/2025/06/04/c...
hburgcitizen.com/2025/06/04/c...
June 4, 2025 at 11:30 AM
"Large sections of the eastern and southern parts of the city are walkable in the same sense that you could swim across a river full of snapping turtles without getting bitten, but it’s not something you would do if you had a safer option."
hburgcitizen.com/2025/06/04/c...
hburgcitizen.com/2025/06/04/c...
Reposted by Livable Harrisonburg
Brattleboro, Vermont didn’t wait for a crisis to make good decisions: it proactively made changes to its zoning code to produce more housing options. And it’s still adapting and making progress towards being Housing-Ready.
May 30, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Brattleboro, Vermont didn’t wait for a crisis to make good decisions: it proactively made changes to its zoning code to produce more housing options. And it’s still adapting and making progress towards being Housing-Ready.
Summary of the 2025-05-30 shortline:
• Complete Streets demo to close N. Mason St lanes
• Climate migration likely to push Virginians westward
• CO Gov. will shut off state grants to cities that don’t comply with state housing policies
• Complete Streets demo to close N. Mason St lanes
• Climate migration likely to push Virginians westward
• CO Gov. will shut off state grants to cities that don’t comply with state housing policies
The Shortline 5-30-25
Complete Streets demo to close N. Mason St lanes • Climate migration likely to push Virginians westward • CO Gov. will shut off state grants to cities that don’t comply with state housing policies
brentfinnegan.substack.com
May 30, 2025 at 12:58 PM
Summary of the 2025-05-30 shortline:
• Complete Streets demo to close N. Mason St lanes
• Climate migration likely to push Virginians westward
• CO Gov. will shut off state grants to cities that don’t comply with state housing policies
• Complete Streets demo to close N. Mason St lanes
• Climate migration likely to push Virginians westward
• CO Gov. will shut off state grants to cities that don’t comply with state housing policies
"Cars and trucks are the largest source of carbon emissions in Virginia and account for almost a third of emissions in Harrisonburg. The evidence is clear that our petroleum-powered automobiles are playing a major role in the breakdown of our climate."
How do we exit car dependency?
How do we exit car dependency?
Is there an exit ramp from car dependency?
Part one of a three-part series about transportation on The Harrisonburg Citizen.
brentfinnegan.substack.com
May 29, 2025 at 6:22 PM
"Cars and trucks are the largest source of carbon emissions in Virginia and account for almost a third of emissions in Harrisonburg. The evidence is clear that our petroleum-powered automobiles are playing a major role in the breakdown of our climate."
How do we exit car dependency?
How do we exit car dependency?