San Francisco
Not All Is Verdant and Rosy With S.F.'s Parklets
The removal of a parklet that had been criticized as 'a haven for homelessness and illegal activity' reflects some of the growing pains experienced by San Francisco as it's sought to encourage the conversion of on-street parking into public spaces.
Has Critical Mass Ridden Itself to Irrelevance?
The mass ride through city streets was originally intended to increase the visibility of bicyclists. Though it still attracts participants, as bicycling has been embraced as a mainstream mode, Critical Mass has lost its relevance, says Joe Eskenazi.
San Francisco Aims to Tame Techie Transit
Tired of the private shuttles ferrying tech workers to Silicon Valley campuses clogging city streets and illegally using 250 city bus stops, San Francisco's Municipal Transportation Agency has proposed a plan for regulating their operation.
To Support Rise in Car Share, S.F. Risks Igniting Parking Battle
A pilot program will reserve 900 on-street parking spaces for car-sharing vehicles. While the number of spaces is just .3 percent of the on-street supply, the program is expected to generate controversy in a city "where parking is at a premium".
14 Ways San Francisco Has Given New Life to Its Historic Assets
In the current feature story from its 'Urbanist' magazine, the Bay Area planning think tank SPUR looks at 14 efforts to preserve the soul of San Francisco through the adaptive reuse, incorporation and juxtaposition of the city's historic buildings.
Watch North America's Cities Grow Up
A Canadian real estate startup has created striking animated 3-D visualizations of the evolution of the skylines in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago.
Proposals for S.F.'s Crissy Field Unfit for Spectacular Site
San Francisco Chronicle architecture critic John King bemoans the visions put forth by three finalists vying to redevelop a spectacular site across from the Crissy Field marsh.
San Francisco's Hidden Gardens Won't Remain Secret for Long
Curbed San Francisco has compiled a list of 17 of San Francisco's secret gardens and overlooked green spaces. Hidden gems include mini parks, rooftop decks, and a tulip garden.
Stunning Images from America's Urban Past
Independence Day is a day to reflect on America's history; and with many of the activities associated with the holiday (parades, fireworks) set on urban stages, it's the perfect occasion to enjoy some amazing images of the country's urban past.
Tallying San Francisco's Cyclists, Bike-by-Bike
Last month an innovative real-time bike counter debuted along San Francisco's Market Street, which is said to be the busiest bike street west of the Mississippi. Over its first 27 days, the counter tallied nearly 55,000 riders.
San Francisco Shares Responsibility for Building a Resilient City
The City of San Francisco announced this week that the numerous sharing economy companies headquartered in the the Bay Area will work with public officials to utilize their technologies in enhancing the city's disaster preparedness and response.
'Mr. Mayor, Tear Down This Freeway', Says San Francisco Planning Think Tank
In their June magazine, SPUR proposes a bold vision for transforming several San Francisco neighborhoods based on three big moves: tear down the end of Interstate 280, put Caltrain and high-speed rail underground, and redevelop the Caltrain railyard.
Is Congestion Pricing the Solution to San Francisco’s Traffic Woes?
A new report paints a grim picture of San Francisco’s traffic future. Without radical reductions in auto usage, the city’s downtown will be ‘mired in gridlock.’ Is a controversial congestion pricing scheme the solution?
Alley Rally Aims to Examine the City's Forgotten Spaces
In popular culture alleyways are often depicted as the setting for illicit acts. But seen in a different light, alleys are key contributors to urban life. SPUR kicks off a week of alley exploration with an essay on their benefits.
Killers of Bay Area Pedestrians Face Little Consequences
The Bay Area has the nation's third highest rate of pedestrian deaths over the last decade. And one-third of those killed between 2007-11 were in a crosswalk when struck. However most drivers at fault faced no serious consequences.
Thanks to SF's Cable Cars, Bell Tolls for City's Public Transit
They're a global icon of the City by the Bay and one of San Francisco's premier tourist attractions. Operating at a loss, the city's cable cars are also draining resources from more essential forms of public transit, writes Joe Eskenazi.
How Middle-Class Anti-Gentrifiers Obscure San Francisco's True Problems
In San Francisco, the relatively affluent are vocal in their denunciation of the "gentrifying" effects of the more affluent. This debate clouds the city's fundamental problems in housing its poor and working class residents, says Ilan Greenberg.
In SoMA District, can S.F. Move Beyond Petty Politics to Think Big About its Future?
As the "new tech capital of the world," San Francisco's SoMA district is facing development pressures that challenge the city's often petty planning process, while providing an opportunity to reconsider what the city could become.
San Francisco Keep Tabs on Residents' Trash to Clean Up the City's Diversion Rate
Mark Andrew Boyer looks at the work of San Francisco's "municipal cart auditors" a team of city employed trash diggers who scour the city's cans for scofflaw sorters as part of a broader effort to become 100-percent "waste-free" by 2020.
Is This America's Next Great Train Station?
Remember this past week when we asked where America's next generation of grand transit hubs would be built? It turns out one may be destined for San Francisco.
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
