It's easy to make fun of expensive “adult dorms,” but in a San Francisco property market with few options beyond single-family homes, other living options should be welcomed
The single room occupancy (SRO) dorm style housing from developer Starcity has been the target of scorn, but that hate seems misdirected, according to an opinion pice by Alex Baca. "Silicon Valley has already luxurified buses, corner stores, and dietary meal replacements in the name of disruption. And now … dormitories?"
It's easy to laugh at paying $1,400 - $2,400 for one room, "… but dorms didn’t make the Bay Area so expensive, and they aren’t actually the issue here. We need more of this kind of living arrangement in every city, not less," Baca argues.
No, luxury dorms won't solve San Francisco's affordability crises, but they do represent an alternative to the dominance of the single family home. 28% of Americans are single people living alone, in contrast to the 20% living with a nuclear family, so these people deserve options as to how they choose to live. "While the caricature of who pays $2,400 to live in a way we associate with college—and what their presence is or isn’t doing to San Francisco—may not be broadly true, it’s powerful enough to elicit an irrational response to a way of living that has a significant precedent," Baca writes.
FULL STORY: In Defense of Dorms for Grown-Ups
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.