San Francisco

San Francisco Skyline

An Expanding Vision for San Francisco's Treasure Island

San Francisco is starved for ideas for ways to meet growing demand for housing, and skyrocketing prices. Here's a big idea: how about building space for some 20,000 new residents on Treasure Island, located in the middle of the bay?

June 25, 2017 - The Architect's Newspaper

Citi Bike Rack

Nation's Second Bikeshare Fatality Under Investigation in Manhattan

The police report conflicts with videos showing CitiBike rider Dan Hanegby, 36, an avid cyclist on his daily commute, being hit by a charter bus on June 12. Almost a year earlier, a Divvy Bike rider was fatally struck by a truck in Chicago.

June 19, 2017 - The New York Times

Embarcadero

Report Ranks the World's Leading Cities: Now and in the Future

New York is the most important city in the world, but San Francisco is best positioned for the future, according to AT Kearney's "Global Cities" report.

June 8, 2017 - World Economic Forum

San Francisco Houses

Report: Demand, Not Market-Rate Supply, Drives Housing Prices in San Francisco

The Urban Institute takes a detailed look at San Francisco's real estate market, where most home sales top $1 million, revealing that old units are far more likely to attract top dollar.

June 5, 2017 - Urban Institute

Brooklyn Bridge

Learning from New York

"Manhattanization," a pejorative term coined in San Francisco half a century ago by opponents of tall buildings, needs to be rethought, writes San Francisco Chronicle's Native Son columnist, Carl Nolte, upon return from a weekend trip to New York.

June 1, 2017 - San Francisco Chronicle

Seattle

Seattle and Silicon Valley: Joined at the Hip?

Tech thrives on connection, and America's west coast tech hubs are more connected than ever before. But Seattleites aren't in a rush to abandon their city's distinctiveness.

May 31, 2017 - The Economist

San Francisco Construction

Taller, Denser, but More Affordable Housing Coming to San Francisco

Following a similar ordinance signed into law by Mayor Ed Lee last July that dealt with developments that are 100 percent affordable, the new housing density ordinance apples to market-rate developments that have 30 percent affordability.

May 27, 2017 - San Francisco Chronicle

The Mission Mural Gentrification

YIMBYs Attacked from the (Far) Left

Pro-housing activists in San Francisco are blamed for displacement of vulnerable communities because they support luxury housing developments. A report from the independent progressive website, Truthout, ties YIMBYs to the "alt-right."

May 22, 2017 - Truthout

Presidio San Francisco

San Francisco Moving Forward on its First Teacher Housing Project

The mayor of San Francisco announced plans to convert an old administrative building, owned by the school district, into housing for teachers. It’s a long-awaited idea that has finally come to fruition.

May 15, 2017 - San Francisco Chronicle

San Francisco Coast

The Great Highway Should Be Better, Not Bigger

San Francisco's Great Highway is losing great chunks of asphalt to the ocean. A new plan intends to change that.

May 7, 2017 - San Francisco Magazine

Los Angeles

City of Los Angeles Tops 4 Million in Latest State Population Report

As usual, California's fastest growing counties were inland, far from coastal job centers. The big surprise was that the fastest growing city was an affluent Silicon Valley suburb that had been sued in 2012 by affordable housing advocates.

May 5, 2017 - The Mercury News

No Luxury Condos

San Francisco Preserves Affordable Housing At Risk of Gentrification

A loan program helps non-profits procure affordable apartment buildings that might otherwise be snatched up by speculative developers.

May 3, 2017 - Next City

Affordable housing

A Path to Looser Land Use Regulations

Harvard economics professor Edward Glaeser discusses the research on local land use controls, and why it makes sense to reevaluate them. Successful approaches may start at the state level.

May 2, 2017 - Brookings

San Francisco

How the San Francisco Branch of Sierra Club Advocates NIMBYism

Despite the pro-infill position of the Sierra Club's national organization, San Francisco's branch advocates to preserve the buildings that are currently there at the expense of density and subsidized housing.

May 2, 2017 - The Bay City Beacon

Housing Construction

Op-Ed: Affordability Depends on Market-Rate Housing

California State Senator Scott Wiener argues that advocating for subsidized affordable housing isn't enough. Anyone concerned with ending the state's housing crisis needs to get behind market-rate development.

May 1, 2017 - Art + Marketing

Uber Lyft Departure

Lyft Shuttle Test in Chicago and San Francisco Sure Does Resemble a Bus

Lyft's shuttle service runs along a pre-determined route during peak commuting times and you can pay for it with your Lyft app.

April 28, 2017 - The Ringer

Google bikes

Black Market Bikeshare

NACTO complains that unsanctioned bikeshares are dangerous and inequitable, others counter these companies provide a valuable service that the market has shown a demand for.

April 22, 2017 - Next City

San Francisco Skyline

San Francisco Ahead of Schedule on Ambitious Greenhouse Gas Reduction Goals

The city of San Francisco hit its greenhouse gas emissions reductions targets two years ahead of schedule. The city has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 28 percent since 1990—the economy grew by 78 percent in that same time period.

April 21, 2017 - BayCity News

Golden Gate

A Public School Teacher on Trying to Raise a Family in San Francisco

Trevor McNeil and his wife make a little too much for their family of five to be eligible for low income subsidies. If one of them were to quit their job, they fear they wouldn't be able to afford the lifestyle they want to live.

April 20, 2017 - The Bay City Beacon

Moving Van

Ten Most Popular Millennial Moving Destinations

In addition to determining the most popular destinations for 18 to 35-year-olds, Mayflower (the moving company) found that 41 percent of this age group have no intention of staying at their selected cities permanently.

April 19, 2017 - Mayflower

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.