San Francisco Bay Area
Brownfield Revitalization, or Gentrification?
Residents of the Bayview neighborhood of San Francisco fear that redevelopment threatens to gentrify the area in a way that pushes out low- and middle-income black residents.
High Country News
TOD Booms in California
Transit oriented development is on the rise in California, with new projects being pushed in conjunction with new rail lines in Southern California and the Bay Area.
The Architect's Newspaper
Environmentalists and New Urbanists Battle Over Proposed Development
Plans to redevelop former salt ponds in the San Francisco Bay Area have pitted environmentalists against New Urbanists.
Grist
Growth Slows in Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area has seen its smallest rate of growth in the state's history, according to data from the 2010 Census.
The Contra Costa Times
Experimental Transportation Projects Get $33 Million in Bay Area
Federal grants worth $33 million have been approved in the San Francisco Bay Area for experimental programs like electric taxis and mobile bike repair services.
San Francisco Chronicle
Great Design Costs Money (And Is Worth It)
A new pedestrian bridge, recently opened near a BART station in the San Francisco Bay Area, is an example of why the high price of good design can sometimes be worth it.
San Francisco Chronicle
Cities, Not Farms, At Fault For Bay Pollution
Cities, not the agriculture heavy Central Valley, are the source of most of the runoff and pollution that enters the San Francisco Bay, according to a new report.
San Francisco Chronicle
Performance Parking
In this radio interview, KQED-FM reporter Kitty Felde interviews UCLA professor and parking guru Don Shoup on what he now calls "performance parking", a form of smart parking that includes congestion pricing used in D.C., SF, and soon LA.
KQED: California Report
Does Land Conservation Drive Housing Costs?
A new study in the San Francisco Bay Area says no, that had there been no controls in place there would be only 6.5% more housing built over the past 50 years.
The San Francisco Chronicle
Comparing Five of The Nation's Biggest Transit Systems
GOOD takes a look at five of the nation's biggest public transit systems and compares their ridership, average speeds, and average miles per trip.
Good
New Research: Effect of Suburban TODs on Surrounding Property Values
Mention 'density' in suburban areas and the knee-jerk reaction is, "there go the property values". But is that really the case? In this study from San Jose State University, 4 suburban TODs are evaluated for their effects on nearby property values.
Mineta Transportation Institute
Bay Bridge Still Broken
This week's wind storm has highlighted problems that remain in the Bay Bridge's construction.
Los Angeles Times
Sea Levels Rise, Californians Seek Dutch Expertise
The rise of sea levels is an inevitable fact. This week, designers, planners, and engineers from the Netherlands and U.S. met to strategize on how the Bay area should deal with it.
San Jose Mercury News
Could Old Bay Bridge Span Become a Park?
Architect Ronald Rael proposes preserving the discarded span of the San Francisco Bay Bridge and turning it into a park and mixed-use development, in the spirit of NY's High Line.
Streetsblog SF
Regions Cooperating to Make Use of Stimulus Funds
Neal Peirce looks at a few examples where regions have pooled their powers to utilize ARRA stimulus funds to create programs and jumpstart regional efforts.
Citiwire
Water Tunnel Beneath Bay to Protect San Francisco in Face of Quake
Utilities officials in the San Francisco Bay Area are hoping to secure their water resources in the face of another devastating earthquake by building a 5-mile long water tunnel beneath the Bay.
San Jose Mercury News
Keeping an Eye on License Plates
The posh San Francisco Bay Area town of Tiburon is planning to install cameras that record the license plate numbers of all cars coming into town. Police will use the system to apprehend criminals or investigate crimes.
San Francisco Chronicle
The Planetizen News Brief - 7/9/09
4:30 minutes (4.19 MB)
Enviros struggle to move past NIMBY tendencies, iPhones begin tracking urban nuisances, and a small town main street succeeds -- all on this week's Planetizen News Brief, airing weekly on the nationally-syndicated radio show "Smart City". Read, listen or download.
BART Looking at Vendors to Boost Revenues
The San Francisco Bay Area's BART regional transit system is considering a plan to expand the amount of retailers and vendors it allows within its stations as a way to boost revenue.
San Francisco Examiner
"Grow Smart Bay Area" Report Released
With great fanfare, the Bay Area's Greenbelt Alliance has released a new report, "Grow Smart Bay Area", the premise being that future population and job growth can be accommodated by infill and by doing so, will add to the region's sustainability.
San Jose Mercury News





















