Proposals For A New San Francisco

As the APA conference ends, a former San Francisco planner offers progressive visions for a future San Francisco.

1 minute read

March 25, 2005, 9:00 AM PST

By Chris Steins @planetizen


But the question before us, as we face a national planning audience and choose a new director of planning to succeed the dynamic interim director Dean Macris, is: Where do we go from here?

  • ...Increase density: Too crowded already? Not for a city. Look at European and Asian cities with their vitality and amenities.
  • ...Establish design review: One of the major criticisms of anything new (and much that is old) is how it looks.
  • ...Increase height limits...
  • ...Improve transportation/parking/movement
  • ...Designate pedestrian zones

    Thanks to Chris Steins

  • Thursday, March 24, 2005 in The San Francisco Chronicle

    portrait of professional woman

    I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

    I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

    Mary G., Urban Planner

    Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

    Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

    Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

    A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

    June 25, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

    Two people walking away from camera through pedestrian plaza in street in Richmond, Virginia with purple and white city bus moving in background.

    Vehicle-related Deaths Drop 29% in Richmond, VA

    The seventh year of the city's Vision Zero strategy also cut the number of people killed in alcohol-related crashes by half.

    June 17, 2025 - WRIC

    Two small wooden one-story homes in Florida with floodwaters at their doors.

    As Trump Phases Out FEMA, Is It Time to Flee the Floodplains?

    With less federal funding available for disaster relief efforts, the need to relocate at-risk communities is more urgent than ever.

    June 16, 2025 - Governing

    Empty platform at Los Angeles Metro subway station.

    LA Transit Ridership Plummets Amidst ICE Raids

    LA Metro’s bus and rail lines are seeing up to 15 percent lower ridership in the wake of violent immigration arrests.

    5 hours ago - Los Angeles Times

    Aerial view of single-family homes with rooftop solar panels in planned development near Austin, Texas.

    A New Texas Neighborhood is Powered by Geothermal Energy

    The 7,500-home development claims to be Austin’s ‘first zero energy planned community.’

    June 29 - Floodlight

    Heat map of extreme heat in rural U.S. communities.

    Data: In Rural America, Mobile Homes are Heat Traps

    Extreme heat is often viewed as an urban problem, but rural communities face their own unique risks.

    June 29 - The Daily Yonder

    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.