A battle over the height of a proposed skyscraper in San Francisco emphasizes the need for an update to the city's 25-yr old plan, says critic John King.
"To put the age of San Francisco's once-vaunted Downtown Plan in context, consider this: The year it was approved, budding community activist Barack Obama rented his first apartment in Chicago.
It was 1985, and San Francisco approved an ambitious plan to strike a balance downtown between old and new. Major growth was steered away from Union Square and the Financial District. Height limits were lowered. Historic preservation gained clout.
But one era's innovation is the next generation's dated rulebook. That's why San Francisco needs to mark the plan's 25th anniversary next year by crafting fresh guidelines for the commercial core - ones that take into account how the city around it has changed."
FULL STORY: Signs of tarnish as Downtown Plan nears 25
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The city is leveraging height increases and density bonuses to acquire more properties for affordable housing.
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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
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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.
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