Relative to those in Chicago's Grant Park or New York's Time Square, post-election celebration turnouts in San Francisco public spaces were sparse. But it's not because of urban design--it's the city's character.
"This isn't necessarily a bad thing. But the void was apparent on election night when Obama's victory caused a meteor shower of public exultation to shoot across our civic landscape - flickering up with high-fives and car honks and spontaneous delight, dissolving in most places as people moved on.
That's a far cry from what went on in Grant Park, where the official Obama gathering near the lakefront was a magnet for more than 100,000 people wanting to be part of history in the making. Or Times Square, where thousands of people showed up to watch enormous television screens proclaiming the results but also to take part in something larger.
On a map, to be sure, we have such spaces. Union Square is the obvious one, framed by masonry walls. Yerba Buena Gardens is beguiling and green. Both are close by Muni and BART.
Both, though, are designed as passive backdrops. They're amenities, not destinations. And while Yerba Buena at one point included visions of large-scale outdoor projection screens, critics who then as now fear 'Manhattanization' were horrified by the idea."
FULL STORY: S.F.'s party spot? Not Justin Herman Plaza
Tent Encampments: Will the Legal Restraint be Lifted?
A controversial U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in 2018 that has hindered the ability of western cities to clear tent encampments on public spaces will likely be revisited and overturned by the Supreme Court, predicts a popular CNN host.
A Bold Vision for a Car-Free Boston
As other cities take daring steps to reclaim their streets, a car ban in downtown Boston doesn’t seem so implausible.
Making Public Spaces Actually Public
Developers get a lot of milage from building privately owned public spaces—but the public often doesn't. Planners in San Francisco are now requiring buildings to make hidden POPS known, so that the public can actually use them.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
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.
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.
Amtrak Rolls Out New Orleans to Alabama “Mardi Gras” Train
The new service will operate morning and evening departures between Mobile and New Orleans.
The Subversive Car-Free Guide to Trump's Great American Road Trip
Car-free ways to access Chicagoland’s best tourist attractions.
San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion
The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont