Officials forecast need to adapt development model: to retreat from some areas, build in others, and reduce reliance on cars.
"The worldwide issue of climate change has a local twist: It's altering the Bay Area's long-running debate over how and where to grow.
"Some officials are suggesting that some bayside areas may need to be abandoned in light of studies that indicate San Francisco Bay could rise several feet by 2100 because of sea level changes. Conversely, other areas along the bay could be developed so that new projects shield low-lying existing communities.
"At the same time, the call to reduce carbon emissions - a factor in global warming - is being used to argue for dense new development in the region's urban core, rather than on the outskirts of auto-reliant suburbs."
The Bay Conservation and Development Commission is calling on a "nuanced approach" to development -- evaluating other ideas rather than just putting a halt to growth -- pointing to wetlands as great for flood control and the need to protect extant communities.
Ken Kirkey, of the Association of Bay Area Governments: "This is a region that thinks of itself as a leader. If we want to be a leader in responding to climate change, we can't just buy Priuses. We need to talk about where and how we live."
FULL STORY: Climate change may alter bay growth patterns

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

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

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall
A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work
Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle
Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.
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