A San Jose Unified School District plan to relocate several schools and build affordable housing in their place has sparked controversy. The district says teachers increasingly can't afford to live in the area.
In another episode from the Bay Area's ongoing housing crisis, the San Jose Unified School District has identified nine school sites where it says it wants to build affordable housing for teachers and other staff.
Marisa Kendall writes, "San Jose Unified says it's fighting to find and retain workers as rising housing costs outpace income. Teachers are commuting up to four hours a day to and from the city's schools, potential hires are refusing jobs here and talented staff are quitting in droves, forcing the school district to replace one out of every seven teachers each year."
The plan doesn't call for any schools to close. Rather, they'll be relocated to new premises, and in some cases, aging buildings at current school sites will be bulldozed. While the district has yet to secure funds for the project, housing bonds would likely cover the bill, Kendall says.
Some residents have taken issue with the idea, and "a [...] meeting to discuss the plan, which drew hundreds of residents, devolved into angry shouting." Opponents argue that the schools, as they stand, are vital neighborhood hubs. They worry that building affordable housing in their stead "would depress home values, negatively impact the aesthetics of the area and worsen traffic."
Kendall writes, "some affordable housing advocates say the response mirrors the 'not in my backyard' or NIMBY attitudes that often derail plans to build low-income homes throughout the Bay Area."
FULL STORY: Turn schools into teacher housing? Unique idea sparks backlash in Bay Area community
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
5 New England states march closer to 800 megawatt wind energy project
Securing federal approval for the project may be complicated under the Trump administration, which has historically been hostile towards domestic wind power.
Baltimore to break ground on $50 million Transit Priority Project
The project will bring faster bus trips, safer streets and better bike connections to Baltimore.
Airbnb launches $250 million 'last-dollar financing' housing accelerator, makes first investment in Austin
The company will put $6.4 million towards affordable housing development in Texas’ capital.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association