San Francisco's recently passed and controversial sit/lie laws that prohibit sitting on sidewalks were based on a similar rule passed in Seattle in 1993. Though that rule has been on the books for years, its controversy remains.
"When residents and merchants of San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury neighborhood complained of being harassed by nasty thugs with pit bulls, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom proposed a sit/lie ban based on Seattle's law, largely because it withstood a federal court challenge.
But 17 years after Seattle became the first city in the country to pass such a ban, its impact remains as gray and cloudy as the city in which the law was born."
The law is aimed at the homeless, but locals in Seattle argue the rules do little to solve the problem of homelessness. Rather, they simply move homeless around.
FULL STORY: Seattle has lessons for S.F. on street safety
Seattle Safe Parking Site to Close, Relocate
A nonprofit leases lots during permitting stages to erect tiny homes and RV safe parking sites for unhoused residents. But the model means constant uncertainty and displacement.
The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?
San Francisco Announces Plan to Overhaul Homelessness Strategy
Mayor Lurie’s three-phase plan promises 1,500 new shelter beds and a restructuring of outreach teams and supportive service programs.
Montreal Mall to Become 6,000 Housing Units
Place Versailles will be transformed into a mixed-use complex over the next 25 years.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
DARTSpace Platform Streamlines Dallas TOD Application Process
The Dallas transit agency hopes a shorter permitting timeline will boost transit-oriented development around rail stations.
Interactive Map Reveals America's “Shade Deserts”
Launched by UCLA and American Forests to combat heat-related deaths, the tool maps the shade infrastructure for over 360 U.S. cities.
Bicycles and Books — In Sacramento, Libraries Now Offer Both
Adult library card holders can check out e-bikes and e-trikes for up to one week.
Colorado Landfills Emit as Much Pollution as 1M Cars
Landfills are the third-largest source of methane pollution in Colorado, after agriculture and fossil fuel extraction.
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.
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