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.

1 minute read

March 31, 2013, 7:00 AM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan looks at new renderings of the Transbay Transit Center, "the 'Grand Central Station' of San Francisco." The renderings and videos provide a glimpse into Pelli Clarke Pelli's vision for the 1.5-million-square-foot transit hub. 

"The Transbay renderings are designed to seduce--they show us an oasis of shimmering glass louvers, a 5.4-acre rooftop park, and plentiful cycling and pedestrian passageways," says Campbell-Dollaghan. "In the words of one academic, it 'drips with sex appeal, featuring gorgeous architecture with sinuous curves, enriched paving, lush landscaping, and seductive water displays.' Inside, though, the building is a well-engineered machine: three city blocks of bus depots, rail tracks, and other transit infrastructure. The whole development will be grounded by a massive 1,000-foot office tower, which will be the city’s tallest building and fund the construction of the transit hub."

"The crowning design element of Transbay, though, is its 5.4-acre roof park designed by Berkeley-based PWP Landscape Architecture."

Friday, March 29, 2013 in Fast Company Co.Design

View form second story inside Southdale Mall in Edina, Minnesota with escalators and model cars parked on downstairs floor.

The Mall Is Dead — Long Live the Mall

The American shopping mall may be closer to its original vision than ever.

March 21, 2024 - Governing

Houston, Texas skyline.

Report: Las Vegas, Houston Top List of Least Affordable Cities

The report assesses the availability of affordable rental units for low-income households.

March 22, 2024 - Urban Edge

White three-story brick single-room occupancy hotel in downtown Los Angeles, California.

‘Micro-Apartment’ Trend Underscores Housing Crisis

SROs are making a comeback under a new name as the housing supply remains strained and costs soar.

March 22, 2024 - Associated Press via Yahoo News

Aerial view of Milwaukee, Wisconsin skyline with freeway interchanges in foreground at night.

Milwaukee Residents Challenge Freeway Expansion

Residents are voicing opposition to a planned expansion of Interstate 94, arguing that the project would eliminate the limited green space in the neighborhood.

1 minute ago - Spectrum News 1

Street Traffic in Manhattan

New York Congestion Pricing Approved by MTA Board

The program took another step forward as the board approved a proposed pricing scheme, but lawsuits still stand in the way of full implementation.

1 hour ago - Smart Cities Dive

White and yellow Metro Transit streetcar in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Video: Making Transit Better

How trackless trams and other innovations can make U.S. transit more efficient.

2 hours ago - CNBC Marathon

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

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.