Stephanie M. Lee reports on the complicated nature of creating an urban garden in San Francisco, and how the area's Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR) hopes to streamline the process.
Last year, the city of San Francisco changed their zoning rules to allow residents to grow and sell food by means of urban farms and gardens. But the process entailed working with up to seven city agencies just to get the required approvals. Outlined in a report released last month, SPUR recommends a number of reforms to try to simplify the entangled process and satisfy the voracious demand for space to garden in the city.
"The report, the result of a six-month study of the budding small-business model, makes the case for increasing that space. It calls on city agencies, including the Recreation and Park Department and the Public Utilities Commission, to provide more land to urban farmers, including existing public areas that are underused."
Eli Zigas, the food systems and urban agriculture program manager at SPUR, says that uncertainty over how to even begin to set up an urban garden is a major stumbling block. "There are people who want to start projects who find it difficult to do so because they don't know who to talk to. Or they approach an agency, and the agency doesn't know how to respond because that's not what they do".
Last month, Supervisor David Chiu introduced new legislation for creating an urban garden program housed by one centralized agency or non-profit organization by the end of the year.
FULL STORY: SPUR, David Chiu push SF urban gardens
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Coming Soon to Ohio: The Largest Agrivoltaic Farm in the US
The ambitious 6,000-acre project will combine an 800-watt solar farm with crop and livestock production.
World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
Caltrans will soon close half of the 101 Freeway in order to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County.
California Grid Runs on 100% Renewable Energy for Over 9 Hours
The state’s energy grid was entirely powered by clean energy for some portion of the day on 37 out of the last 45 days.
New Forecasting Tool Aims to Reduce Heat-Related Deaths
Two federal agencies launched a new, easy-to-use, color-coded heat warning system that combines meteorological and medical risk factors.
AI Traffic Management Comes to Dallas-Fort Worth
Several Texas cities are using an AI-powered platform called NoTraffic to help manage traffic signals to increase safety and improve traffic flow.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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.