San Francisco

Powerful Political Voices Call for Another Bay Area Bridge
U.S. Senator Diane Feinstein is leading calls for the so-called Southern Crossing—a bridge that would connect San Francisco and the East Bay somewhere south of the Bay Bridge.

San Francisco Considers Citywide Demand-Based Parking
San Francisco could become the first U.S. city to use demand-based parking rates citywide.
The High Cost of Curbside Electric Vehicle Charging
There's nothing like the convenience of charging one's electric vehicle at home, assuming you have a garage, driveway, or your apartment building has a charger. California cities and utilities are working to increase EV infrastructure on all fronts.

Caltrain Electrification Can't Come Soon Enough for Neighbors
Transit adjacent developments have their downsides when the transit is a diesel-powered commuter train, and the location is a stub-end terminal. Case in point: San Francisco's Mission Bay.

Making the Leap From Smart Projects to Smart Cities
Most "smart city" projects to-date are somewhat isolated and are not part of a more comprehensive network.

More Cities Replacing Parking With Drop-Off Zones for Ride-Hailing Companies
More than one city has ditched parking in response to the congestion and conflicts created by ride-hailing pick-ups and drop-offs .

Ending the Affordable Housing Supply Debate
There is hope that affordable housing advocates will agree that adding supply at any price point can help provide affordable housing as a result.

Rent Control's Mixed Effects in San Francisco
As California debates the future of rent control in its municipalities, a group of Stanford economists have conducted research that connects San Francisco's existing policy with higher housing costs.

Investigation Reveals Abuses of Affordable Housing Program in San Francisco
Every bit of affordable housing helps in expensive San Francisco, but some residents in the city's "Below Market Rental" units are illegally renting those units for thousands of dollars a month.

San Francisco Has a New 'Vision Zero' Fire Truck
The size of fire trucks frustrates advocates on many sides of the public safety debate. The San Francisco Fire Department sought a solution.

San Francisco Lays Out Stormwater Resilience Plan
The strategy ranges from major infrastructure investments to improved neighborhood services.

San Francisco's Vision for Seismic and Social Resilience
The progressive city hopes to integrate economic, community, and climate resiliency measures in future projects.

The New 'Public Life Data Protocol' Aims to Revolutionize Public Life
The Gehl Institute, working with several public sector partners, has released an open source "Public Life Data Protocol."
Adapting Combined Sewer-Stormwater Systems to Climate Change
Only one coastal city has a sewer system that must handle stormwater as well as wastewater. San Francisco's efforts to adapt its combined sewer-stormwater system has put it on the vanguard of the city's climate adaptation efforts.

The High Cost of Burying Power Lines
With speculation that downed power lines and exploding transformers may have caused California's most deadly and destructive wildfires, many question why utility companies don't bury these lines through fire-prone areas.

San Francisco Mayor Calls for Quicker Approvals for New Housing
San Francisco Mayor, Ed Lee, released his directive saying the city should be approving the building or renovating of 5,000 units a year.

Yards Slim Down as House Size Grows
As the footprints of the average suburban home grows and lot sizes shrink, the traditional sprawling yard is getting squeezed out.

Dockless vs. Docking Bikeshare Showdown in San Francisco
When Ford GoBike took over Bay Area Bike Share last year and promised to expand the number of bikes ten-fold, they entered into an exclusivity contract with San Francisco. So why is the city going to issue a permit to a competitor?

San Francisco Planning to Remove the Great Highway as Coastal Erosion Takes its Toll
In the 1920s, the city of San Francisco extended the shoreline of south Ocean Beach by some 200 feet. Now the coast there is eroding as a result of that action, and the Great Highway is on shaky ground.

San Francisco Sets Five-Year Plan to Drastically Reduce Homelessness
A new plan in San Francisco aims to reduce the city's chronically homeless population 50 percent by December 2022. Other goals include ending family homelessness and eliminating large, long-term tent encampments.
Pagination
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.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service