San Francisco’s first north-south subway opened last weekend, extending service on Muni’s T light rail line.
San Francisco’s Central Subway, under construction for a decade and planned for four decades, finally opened to the public over the weekend.
“The subway cuts through the most densely populated parts of San Francisco and carries particular importance for the city’s Chinatown neighborhood, whose residents hope it will spur an economic revival,” according to an article by Ricardo Cano for the San Francisco Chronicle.
The first Central Subway train left Chinatown at 8 am on Saturday, and the Municipal Transportation Agency (Muni) is operating limited weekend service through the first week of January, according to the article. “When it opens for full service on Jan. 7, the T line will take riders from Bayview-Hunters Point to Chinatown via the city’s first north-south subway and connect riders to BART, Caltrain and Muni’s other light-rail lines on Market Street,” writes Cano.
More details on the long past and the potential future of the subway are available from a separate article by Cano and J.D. Morris published a few days before the opening.
The subway opens four years behind schedule and 20 percent over budget, attracting stinging criticism right up until opening day.
FULL STORY: Crowds greet delayed opening of S.F.’s Central Subway to Chinatown
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
New Park Opens in the Santa Clarita Valley
The City of Santa Clarita just celebrated the grand opening of its 38th park, the 10.5-acre Skyline Ranch Park.
U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
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
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
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.