This was not a case of "it's better to ask forgiveness than permission."
J.K. Dineen reports from San Francisco, where "[a] property owner who illegally demolished a 1936 Twin Peaks house designed by a renowned modernist must rebuild an exact replica of the home rather than the much larger structure the property owner had proposed replacing it with…"
Modernist icon Richard Neutra designed the house at 49 Hopkins Street, known as the Largent House. The property owner, Ross Johnston, created a development company, 49 Hopkins LLC , to raze the house and build a much larger replacement. According to his attorney, Johnston intended to move his family into the much larger house.
The problem with the demolition: Johnston only had permission to "remodel with a design that would have largely kept the first floor of the existing home intact," according to Dineen.
"The case attracted attention because Neutra is considered one of the most important modern architects and because it highlighted the trend of speculators illegally razing modest homes with the intention of replacing them with mega-homes," according to Dineen.
The decision to have Johnston rebuild the house exactly as it was is unprecedented in San Francisco history, according to Dineen. The action has also inspired a lot of debate in San Francisco.
Read the full story: SF to developer who tore down landmark house: Rebuild it exactly as it was
Voters choose public transit, approve $31 billion in funding
Approved projects include $101,000 for reduced-cost transit in a Michigan town and $14 billion for regional transit in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Bay area voters pass ‘crucial lifeline’ for transit
Proposition RTM, which will fund Bay Area transit, has approval from 61% of voters as of 9:45 p.m. on Nov. 3.
California High-Speed Rail Authority picks trainset manufacturer
The California High-Speed Rail Authority aims to start servicing passengers by 2033.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity
Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.
Study reveals best places in the U.S. for cycling, walking
New research from Streetlight Data examines bicycle and pedestrian miles per capita in the 100 largest U.S. cities by population.
DSA members accuse Mamdani of 'abandoning values' over housing redevelopment
New York City's mayor plans to replace about 2,000 units of public housing with private, mixed-income housing.
All sides of BRT debate unhappy with CDOT’s most recent move
The Colorado Department of Transportation is no longer considering center-running bus lanes for Colorado Boulevard.
Massachusetts bogs generate both power, and cranberries
Putting solar panels above farmland is one way Massachusetts is advancing toward its goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
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.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello