San Francisco has always been home to utopian dreamers. With a clean slate to work on in the middle of the bay, the city has drafted plans for a sustainable utopia. With politics and money kicking in, will the dream be dashed?
Writer Jeremy Adam Smith reflects on the history of utopian planned cities, from Ebenezer Howard's Garden City to architectural eco-villages in China. Will the Treasure Island plan go the way of those well-intentioned ideas, or could it be built as planned?
"...Treasure Island is in some ways quite different from those projects. Its commitments to stormwater wetlands and clean energy are legally binding, unlike in China. And unlike the Chinese projects - or, for that matter, Stevenage - the Treasure Island redevelopment has been subjected to 15 years of intense expert scrutiny and public involvement. During a recent trip to Treasure Island, I saw signs everywhere advertising meetings for residents to give feedback on the project. When I asked one two-year resident if he'd had a chance to make his voice heard, he just laughed. 'I've had too much opportunity!' he said. 'I'm sick of hearing about it!'"
Other voices heard in the story are very concerned that Treasure Island is basically landfill, making it susceptible to earthquakes and flooding due to climate change.
FULL STORY: Can a City Build a Better Version of Itself?
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Plans for numerous large-scale developments in the region mean thousands of housing units should be on the way, but constant delays and setbacks have left projects nowhere near completion.
California's Business-Friendly, Bipartisan Approach to Climate Change
Gov. Jerry Brown, accompanied by former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, signed legislation to continue the cap-and-trade program initially authorized under a bill signed by his Republican predecessor 11 years ago at the same Treasure Island location.
An Expanding Vision for San Francisco's Treasure Island
San Francisco is starved for ideas for ways to meet growing demand for housing, and skyrocketing prices. Here's a big idea: how about building space for some 20,000 new residents on Treasure Island, located in the middle of the bay?
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
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Accessibility-based planning minimizes the distance that people must travel to reach desired services and activities. Measured this way, increased density can provide more total benefits than increased speeds.
Fair Housing Cannot Take a Back Seat to ‘Build, Baby, Build’
If we overlook fair housing principles in the plan to build US housing back better, we risk ending up right back where we started.
LA Metro Board Approves New 710 Freeway Plan
The newest plan for the 710 corridor claims it will not displace any residents.
Austin’s Proposed EV Charging Rules Regulate Station Locations, Size
City planners say the new rules would ensure an efficient distribution of charging infrastructure across the city and prevent an overconcentration in residential areas.
Making California State Parks More Climate-Resilient
A recently released report offers recommendations for keeping state parks healthy and robust, including acquiring additional land for conservation and recreation.
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