The historic Fort Mason, along with several other development projects, has helped alter the landscape of the city’s northern waterfront, according to Jim Chappell, former head of the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association.
While development in the aftermath of the Loma Prieta earthquake and the decimation of the double-decker Embarcadero Freeway have helped to transform San Francisco’s northern waterfront, work on the historic Fort Mason Center project has been slow going.
Jim Chappell, an architect and planner who led the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR) for 15 years, describes several developments that are reshaping the area and discusses how the Fort Mason project is finally gaining ground.
“For years, it has all fallen apart when one hits Van Ness. But a brilliant new plan for the non-profit Fort Mason Center is about to change all that.”
The National Park Service owns the Fort Mason property. New development on the site includes the opening this week of the reconceived Pier 2, a 35,000-square foot, $21 million project, Chappell writes. This follows a $13 million pier substructure upgrade the park service completed.
The changes were ushered in the 2012 International Design Competition in which 20 firms were invited to submit entries for revamping Fort Mason, according to Chappell.
For years, the nonprofit foundation that runs the historic Fort Mason helped to preserve some of the cultural institutions.
“But like every other real estate venture, the world has changed for Fort Mason since September 15, 2008. The National Park Service is squeezed for resources; the non-profit tenants have always been; and Fort Mason is searching for new ways to meet its mission of supporting arts and culture in San Francisco. Thus the design competition. The competition brief called for visions to “inject cohesion, focus, and renewed energy into the campus” and “enhance Fort Mason Center’s profile as an arts and cultural destination.”
Visit Urbdezine to read more.
FULL STORY: Completing San Francisco’s Northern Waterfront
Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary
Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.
Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024
A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.
Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts
From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.
Orlando Pledges to Improve Walkability
A city report highlights successes and failures in building safer transportation infrastructure and reducing VMT in 2023.
New York Transit Agency Launches Performance Dashboard
The tool increases transparency about the agency’s performance on a variety of metrics.
Washington Tribes Receive Resilience Funding
The 28 grants support projects including relocation efforts as coastal communities face the growing impacts of climate change.
City of Rochester
Boston Harbor Now
City of Bellevue
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Colorado Department of Local Affairs
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.