San Francisco

Lombard Street San Francisco

Urban Congestion Pricing Might Finally Come to California

If Gov. Gavin Newsom signs legislation by San Francisco Assemblyman Phil Ting, motorists who want to drive the 'world's most crooked street,' a huge tourist draw, will be forced to participate in a pilot 'reservation and pricing program.'

September 9, 2019 - California Assembly Press Release

Boston Bus

Around the Country, Cities Face Bus Driver Shortages

Cities like St. Louis, Denver, and Minneapolis have have fewer bus drivers than the transit system requires. The shortages are effecting the quality of service.

September 3, 2019 - Streetsblog USA

Bike and Bus Lane

Lack of Traffic Safety Enforcement Blamed for Vision Zero Failures

Education, engineering, and enforcement are the three "e's" of Vision Zero in San Francisco. A lack of on of those "e's"—enforcement—might explain why more people are dying on the city's streets this year that any year since the city adopted Vision Z

September 2, 2019 - The San Francisco Chronicle

San Francisco Construction

A Plan to Fix the Leaning Tower of San Francisco

A luxury residential high rise, conspicuously located near the Bay Bridge in a quickly growing section of the city, could finally have a plan to fix its sagging foundation.

August 29, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

San Francisco Houses

Op-Ed: Only Half of San Francisco is Changing

Using a mid 20th-century painting as his point of reference, Benjamin Schneider points out that the vast, disruptive changes we often associate with San Francisco are only affecting the city's eastern side.

August 22, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

San Francisco Bike Lane

Scooter 'Redlining' Raises Questions in San Francisco

San Francisco hoped a competitive permitting process would ensure considerations of equity in the operations of scooters in the city. The results haven't lived up to expectations.

August 19, 2019 - Los Angeles Times

Transbay Transit Center

Cracked Beams Repaired, Commuters Return to San Francisco's Transbay Terminal

After a ten-month closure necessary after inspectors found cracked beams in the Transbay transit terminal mere weeks after opening, regular bus operations finally returned to the $2.2 billion facility earlier this week.

August 16, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

Oakland

Gentrification and Race in the San Francisco Bay Area

A feature article revisits the gentrification and displacement discussion, especially as it pertains to racial and economic demographics, in one of the nation's most troubled and challenging housing markets.

August 14, 2019 - The Mercury News

Oakland skyline and San Francisco Bay

Battle of the Bay: Oakland Ahead of San Francisco in Housing Construction

Call it a role reversal: Oakland is building far more apartments and housing units than San Francisco—a reversal of the history of development in the Bay Area.

August 13, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

Alamo Square

'The Last Black Man in San Francisco' Pays Homage to the City’s People and Places

The film captures a gentrifying San Francisco by incorporating many subtle details about the city's past and present.

August 9, 2019 - San Francisco Examiner

Commute

How Much of Traffic is Created by Uber and Lyft?

New data from Fehr & Peers shows services like Uber and Lyft account for a larger share of the total traffic than previously thought, especially in city centers.

August 8, 2019 - CityLab

Newport Beach High-Rise

Lawsuits: Not Just for Development Opponents Anymore

Details of the "Sue the Suburbs" movement wielding a new legal tool to counteract the traditionally obstructionist methods of land use regulation in California.

August 6, 2019 - The Mercury News

San Francisco Tunnel Boring Machine

Subway Project Budget 'Running on Fumes' in San Francisco

The high-profile Central Subway is in danger of running out of money, according to a federal watchdog.

July 29, 2019 - San Francisco Examiner

Electric Car Charging Stencil

More EV Charging Coming to San Francisco Private and Public Parking Facilities

To reach an ambitious net-zero target for transportation emissions in San Francisco, Mayor Breed and two supervisors introduced legislation to require large parking facilities provide electric vehicle charging for 10% of spaces.

July 19, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

Homeless Cars

A 'Safe' Parking Lot for the Homeless Proposed in San Francisco

If approved, a new facility in San Francisco will allow homeless people living in RVs and vans a safe place to park. Access to support services will also be available at the site.

July 17, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

San Francisco Downtown

Private Branding of the Public City

Oracle Park, the Blue Shield of California Theater, Ford GoBike—branding abounds in San Francisco.

July 14, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

Homelessness

S.F. Residents Sue to Block Homeless 'Navigation Center' on Environmental Grounds

A group called Safe Embarcadero for All is suing to block the construction of a homeless shelter on city-leased land across from piers 30-32 on the San Francisco waterfront.

July 11, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

Jack and Laura Dangermond Preserve

'Grim' Choices Facing California as the Pacific Ocean Rises

The Los Angeles Times published a massively ambitious account of the sea-level threat facing California.

July 8, 2019 - Los Angeles Times

Northern California Wilidfires

Op-Ed Supports Congestion Pricing for San Francisco

An opinion piece by Josh Wilson makes a case for a congestion pricing plan tailored specifically for the realities of living and working in San Francisco.

July 3, 2019 - The San Francisco Chronicle

San Francisco Bay Bridge

Bay Area Planners Acknowledge the Need for Regional Housing Solutions

While most Bay Area communities are pursuing housing solutions "individually," local planners acknowledge the need for strategies that address the regional as a unified whole.

July 3, 2019 - Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.